Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Askim and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,938 in Askim, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Askim
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Askim Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Askim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,938

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,938 in Askim versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Askim $2,938
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,407 in Askim versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Askim $4,407
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,876 in Askim versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Askim $5,876
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Askim is roughly 214% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Askim is 116% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 NOK 200

$2.24 ฿75.7

863.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,178

$19.00 ฿642

567.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 150

$5.55 ฿188

191.35%

Cappuccino

$6.13 NOK 56.9

$1.67 ฿56.6

267.07%

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

$4.39 NOK 40.81

$0.64 ฿21.56

585.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 NOK 32.50

$0.31 ฿10.32

1029.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.75 NOK 109

$2.36 ฿79.6

397.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.12 NOK 122

$3.66 ฿124

258.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.29

$1.95 ฿65.8

28.72%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 NOK 39.14

$1.44 ฿48.51

192.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.19

$1.33 ฿45.07

257.89%

Eggs

$6.00 NOK 55.8

$2.28 ฿77.1

163.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 NOK 143

$16.45 ฿556

-6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.88 NOK 148

$2.78 ฿94.0

471.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.79 NOK 295

$9.31 ฿314

241.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.81

$2.35 ฿79.5

41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 24.58

$0.97 ฿32.82

173.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.82

$1.60 ฿53.9

127.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 NOK 56.2

$1.50 ฿50.7

303.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.98

$1.28 ฿43.15

110.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 26.85

$1.10 ฿37.22

162.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.32

$0.71 ฿23.84

359.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.20

$0.49 ฿16.38

410.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.42 NOK 180

$4.14 ฿140

369.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.19 NOK 160

$17.52 ฿592

-1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 32.99

$1.61 ฿54.5

120.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 NOK 41.07

$2.78 ฿94.0

58.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 NOK 45.12

$0.87 ฿29.33

458.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 NOK 808

$54.1 ฿1,827

60.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 NOK 112

$1.16 ฿39.08

937.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.79

$0.53 ฿17.82

260.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.2 NOK 671

$2.42 ฿81.8

2884.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.28

$1.45 ฿48.93

65.52%

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

$49.0K NOK 455.2K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

132.67%

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

$39.1K NOK 363.7K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

45.31%

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

$437 NOK 4,056

$62.2 ฿2,100

602.22%

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

$33.80 NOK 314

$12.17 ฿411

177.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 NOK 509

$20.12 ฿680

172.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 466

$37.31 ฿1,260

34.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.37 NOK 347

$3.77 ฿127

891.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.12 NOK 150

$6.49 ฿219

148.38%

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

$245 NOK 2,275

$736 ฿24.9K

-66.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 146.1K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

6.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 962

$53.4 ฿1,802

94.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 NOK 562

$24.64 ฿832

145.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,278

$91.5 ฿3,089

50.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,489

$71.9 ฿2,429

122.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 NOK 11.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

162.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 NOK 9,820

$309 ฿10.4K

242.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 NOK 19.5K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

108.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 NOK 16.1K

$633 ฿21.4K

172.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,481 NOK 60.2K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

174.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 NOK 39.3K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

166.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,219 NOK 39.2K

$590 ฿19.9K

615.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.57

-11.31%

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

Last update for Askim: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Askim

$1.1K 36%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 70.8% $748

Groceries & Markets

Askim

$526 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 55.5% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Askim

$525 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 82% $431

Eating Out

Askim

$411 14%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 81.1% $334

Clothing & Footwear

Askim

$208 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 47.7% $99

Getting Around

Askim

$128 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 52.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Askim

$82 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 39% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Askim and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Askim pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $127 in Askim vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $526 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Askim

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

00:45 12:45 AM

6 h ahead of Askim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,368

127,240

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Askim Chiang Mai 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Askim
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

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

Askim and Chiang Mai differ by about 214% in total monthly costs ($2,938 vs $936 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Askim is about 7.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,265 in Askim versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $127 in Askim. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,938 per month in Askim versus $936 in Chiang Mai – a 214% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Askim and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Askim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.