Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Bergen versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bergen is roughly 208% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 98% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$1.96 ฿65.9

1212.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$18.35 ฿617

461.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$7.48 ฿252

160.83%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$2.02 ฿67.8

168.32%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$0.85 ฿28.52

276.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$0.36 ฿11.97

702.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$2.14 ฿71.9

452.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

$3.59 ฿121

172.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$1.65 ฿55.5

60.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$1.57 ฿52.7

108.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$1.19 ฿40.05

142.02%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$1.94 ฿65.1

152.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$16.19 ฿545

-12.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$2.99 ฿101

437.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$10.94 ฿368

157.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$2.71 ฿91.2

45.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$1.17 ฿39.27

152.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$1.69 ฿56.8

121.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$1.60 ฿54.0

251.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$1.38 ฿46.56

97.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$1.20 ฿40.47

142.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$0.67 ฿22.51

317.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$0.56 ฿18.74

282.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$4.64 ฿156

265.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$17.62 ฿593

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$1.86 ฿62.6

77.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$3.30 ฿111

32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$0.88 ฿29.70

407.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$19.34 ฿651

320.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$1.36 ฿45.92

1019.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$1.34 ฿45.00

67.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$8.21 ฿276

783.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$1.22 ฿41.20

74.59%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

65.50%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

91.25%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$70.7 ฿2,378

242.80%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$14.04 ฿472

174.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$17.49 ฿589

269.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$42.15 ฿1,418

27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$6.88 ฿231

486.63%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$5.92 ฿199

241.22%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$309 ฿10.4K

-7.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-15.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$55.8 ฿1,876

63.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$26.11 ฿879

112.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$83.0 ฿2,793

33.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$70.5 ฿2,371

106.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$432 ฿14.5K

197.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$239 ฿8,040

308.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$822 ฿27.7K

145.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$512 ฿17.2K

204.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

295.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

$1,467 ฿49.4K

216.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

$579 ฿19.5K

649.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

-3.00%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 650% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $103 in Bergen vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 208% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 650% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,284 in Bergen versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen 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 208% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.