Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blonduos and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,714 in Blonduos, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. The total is higher in Blonduos despite lower rent and utilities.

82

Cost of Living Index in Blonduos
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Blonduos Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Blonduos

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,714

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,714 per month in Blonduos vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Blonduos $1,714
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,916 per month in Blonduos vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Blonduos $2,916
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $4,117 per month in Blonduos vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Blonduos $4,117
Chiang Mai $1,999

Blonduos costs about 83% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Blonduos sits 27% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.58 ISK 3,715

$2.13 ฿71.4

1335.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$18.62 ฿623

556.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.51 ISK 3,222

$5.60 ฿187

373.39%

Cappuccino

$6.91 ISK 840

$1.66 ฿55.6

316.27%

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

$3.23 ISK 392

$0.65 ฿21.63

396.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ISK 376

$0.30 ฿10.20

930.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.10 ISK 1,713

$2.32 ฿77.7

507.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.45 ISK 1,513

$3.67 ฿123

239.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ISK 246

$2.02 ฿67.4

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 ISK 506

$1.41 ฿47.08

195.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 ISK 435

$1.39 ฿46.54

157.55%

Eggs

$7.16 ISK 870

$2.37 ฿79.2

202.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.08 ISK 2,683

$16.52 ฿552

33.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.29 ISK 2,951

$2.67 ฿89.3

809.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.68 ISK 5,064

$9.02 ฿302

362.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ISK 411

$2.40 ฿80.2

40.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 ISK 345

$1.04 ฿34.82

173.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ISK 388

$1.66 ฿55.5

92.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 ISK 769

$1.56 ฿52.1

305.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ISK 478

$1.24 ฿41.39

216.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 ISK 200

$1.09 ฿36.34

51.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.65 ISK 443

$0.76 ฿25.47

380.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 213

$0.51 ฿17.19

243.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,666

$4.12 ฿138

232.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.14 ISK 2,933

$17.93 ฿600

34.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.62 ฿54.3

117.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ISK 410

$2.82 ฿94.4

19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 ISK 827

$1.18 ฿39.35

476.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 339

$0.17 ฿5.73

1541.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.5 ISK 9,906

$1.81 ฿60.6

4404.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 ISK 243

$1.47 ฿49.25

36.05%

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

$68.0K ISK 8.3M

$21.0K ฿702.6K

223.79%

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

$55.4K ISK 6.7M

$26.5K ฿886.7K

109.04%

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

$96.2 ISK 11.7K

$62.6 ฿2,092

53.71%

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

$32.29 ISK 3,923

$11.60 ฿388

178.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.2 ISK 10.6K

$20.30 ฿679

329.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 ISK 2,378

$6.51 ฿218

200.61%

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

$1,187 ISK 144.2K

$727 ฿24.3K

63.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ISK 3.1M

$16.6K ฿554.2K

54.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 ISK 17.9K

$53.5 ฿1,790

174.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 ISK 8,132

$24.80 ฿829

169.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$185 ISK 22.5K

$90.4 ฿3,023

105.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 ISK 30.2K

$72.0 ฿2,407

245.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

5.57

58.17%

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

Last update for Blonduos: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Blonduos

$619 36.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 61.8% $383

Eating Out

Blonduos

$528 30.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 85.5% $451

Clothing & Footwear

Blonduos

$292 17%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 62.9% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Blonduos

$216 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 56.2% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Blonduos

$39 * 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 30% $12

Getting Around

Blonduos

$21 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 182% $38

Accommodation & Living

Blonduos

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Blonduos versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $619 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Blonduos

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

15:57 3:57 PM

7 h ahead of Blonduos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900

127,240

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Blonduos Chiang Mai 9,350 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Blonduos
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

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

Blonduos costs about 83% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,572 per month in Blonduos and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Blonduos and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 162% more in Blonduos, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,714 in Blonduos and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,714 in Blonduos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.