Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,276 in Wakayama, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wakayama and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wakayama and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,276 per month in Wakayama vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wakayama $1,276
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Wakayama vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wakayama $2,031
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Wakayama vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wakayama $2,785
Chiang Mai $1,903

Wakayama costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wakayama and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Wakayama 6% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,022

$2.29 ฿76.5

182.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 ¥4,932

$19.64 ฿656

58.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥773

$5.61 ฿188

-12.83%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$1.66 ฿55.6

48.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ¥197

$0.70 ฿23.40

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$0.31 ฿10.24

177.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥506

$2.41 ฿80.4

32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$3.71 ฿124

-50.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.95 ฿65.3

-19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥242

$1.41 ฿47.03

8.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$1.31 ฿43.62

225.95%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥334

$2.18 ฿72.9

-3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,534

$16.65 ฿556

-3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$2.76 ฿92.2

155.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 ¥2,701

$9.11 ฿304

87.71%

Apples (1kg)

$8.20 ¥1,296

$2.39 ฿80.0

243.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ¥478

$1.03 ฿34.26

193.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$1.63 ฿54.4

215.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.94 ¥1,255

$1.50 ฿50.0

429.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$1.29 ฿43.13

210.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.59 ¥726

$1.11 ฿37.03

313.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$0.72 ฿24.08

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.53 ฿17.59

66.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$4.31 ฿144

-7.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$17.95 ฿600

-48.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ¥393

$1.58 ฿52.9

57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$2.84 ฿95.0

-24.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$0.86 ฿28.86

74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,496

$53.3 ฿1,780

0.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$1.21 ฿40.29

153.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥460

$0.57 ฿18.99

410.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 ¥2,478

$2.35 ฿78.6

567.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.44 ฿47.96

-26.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

6.03%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-43.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$117 ¥18.4K

$62.3 ฿2,083

87.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.45 ¥3,705

$12.11 ฿405

93.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 ¥4,968

$19.94 ฿666

57.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,109

$37.07 ฿1,239

38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ¥1,771

$6.50 ฿217

72.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$564 ¥89.1K

$793 ฿26.5K

-28.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

0.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ¥7,800

$53.7 ฿1,796

-8.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 ¥5,596

$24.62 ฿823

43.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,385

$90.9 ฿3,036

-34.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ¥15.6K

$71.1 ฿2,378

38.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$455 ฿15.2K

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$298 ฿9,954

13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ¥172.7K

$908 ฿30.4K

20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.5K

$554 ฿18.5K

33.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 ¥664.5K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

117.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

21.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,965 ¥626.4K

$591 ฿19.7K

571.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

5.57

-70.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$382 30%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 38.4% $147

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$337 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 11.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$172 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 45% $77

Eating Out

Wakayama

$124 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 36.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$109 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 1% $1.1

Getting Around

Wakayama

$77 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 21.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$74 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 32.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Wakayama versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 571% higher in Wakayama, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Wakayama versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

07:52 7:52 AM

2 h behind Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

127,240

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Wakayama Chiang Mai 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Wakayama
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wakayama vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wakayama costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,914 per month in Wakayama and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $564 per month in Wakayama and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Wakayama, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Wakayama at $1,276. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wakayama it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,276 in Wakayama. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wakayama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.