Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akureyri and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,077 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,077

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Akureyri 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 Akureyri and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,077 per month in Akureyri vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Akureyri $3,077
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,153 per month in Akureyri vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Akureyri $4,153
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,229 per month in Akureyri vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Akureyri $5,229
Chiang Mai $1,914

Akureyri costs about 228% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Akureyri sits 128% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.88 ISK 3,018

$2.26 ฿75.4

1000.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 ISK 15.7K

$19.18 ฿641

574.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.70 ISK 2,753

$5.59 ฿187

306.08%

Cappuccino

$5.07 ISK 615

$1.72 ฿57.6

194.77%

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

$3.35 ISK 407

$0.64 ฿21.54

423.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ISK 368

$0.33 ฿11.18

818.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.86 ISK 1,317

$2.36 ฿78.7

360.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.32 ISK 1,131

$3.90 ฿130

138.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 ISK 346

$2.05 ฿68.6

39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ISK 281

$1.40 ฿46.70

65.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ISK 384

$1.28 ฿42.89

146.88%

Eggs

$7.98 ISK 968

$2.25 ฿75.3

254.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 ISK 1,862

$16.94 ฿566

-9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.80 ISK 3,008

$2.74 ฿91.6

805.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 346

$1.01 ฿33.92

182.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 ISK 426

$1.61 ฿53.9

118.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 ISK 746

$1.52 ฿50.7

304.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 ISK 1,684

$4.33 ฿145

220.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.64 ISK 320

$1.45 ฿48.32

82.07%

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

$41.7K ISK 5.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

103.44%

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

$66.3K ISK 8.0M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

150.01%

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

$124 ISK 15.0K

$62.3 ฿2,083

99.01%

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

$25.96 ISK 3,149

$12.27 ฿410

111.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$163 ISK 19.8K

$19.97 ฿668

716.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.4 ISK 10.2K

$37.91 ฿1,267

122.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 ISK 1,855

$6.71 ฿224

127.87%

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

$365 ISK 44.3K

$797 ฿26.6K

-54.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 ISK 10.1K

$53.3 ฿1,780

55.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ISK 14.8K

$91.6 ฿3,062

33.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 ISK 221.8K

$464 ฿15.5K

294.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 ISK 218.6K

$305 ฿10.2K

491.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 ISK 262.4K

$552 ฿18.5K

291.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,455 ISK 783.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

237.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,684 ISK 810.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

364.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.4

5.57

68.76%

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

Last update for Akureyri: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Akureyri

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,829 in Akureyri versus $464 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Akureyri versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

06:25 6:25 AM

7 h ahead of Akureyri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,219

127,240

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akureyri Chiang Mai 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Akureyri
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

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

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 228%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,616 per month in Akureyri and $1,408 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Akureyri and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Akureyri, 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 $938, than in Akureyri at $3,077. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Akureyri makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.