Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bodo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,466 in Bodo, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Bodo
Learn more

Bodo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Bodo

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,466

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Bodo vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bodo $2,466
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,975 per month in Bodo vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bodo $3,975
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,483 per month in Bodo vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bodo $5,483
Chiang Mai $1,914

Bodo costs about 163% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bodo sits 83% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 NOK 223

$2.26 ฿75.4

947.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,202

$19.18 ฿641

565.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$23.87 NOK 225

$5.59 ฿187

327.01%

Cappuccino

$6.34 NOK 59.7

$1.72 ฿57.6

268.60%

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

$4.48 NOK 42.14

$0.64 ฿21.54

600.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 NOK 30.30

$0.33 ฿11.18

875.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.06 NOK 114

$2.36 ฿78.7

411.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$15.06 NOK 142

$3.90 ฿130

286.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 NOK 22.76

$2.05 ฿68.6

18.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 NOK 39.05

$1.40 ฿46.70

196.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 38.57

$1.28 ฿42.89

220.31%

Eggs

$5.25 NOK 49.45

$2.25 ฿75.3

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 NOK 116

$16.94 ฿566

-27.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.38 NOK 182

$2.74 ฿91.6

607.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.68 NOK 204

$9.36 ฿313

131.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.21

$2.40 ฿80.3

47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.90

$1.01 ฿33.92

172.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 43.19

$1.61 ฿53.9

185.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.28 NOK 59.1

$1.52 ฿50.7

313.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.19

$1.28 ฿42.90

142.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.97

$1.11 ฿37.22

167.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 NOK 28.00

$0.72 ฿24.09

312.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 NOK 23.59

$0.52 ฿17.54

382.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.41 NOK 136

$4.33 ฿145

232.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.21 NOK 190

$17.73 ฿593

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 NOK 35.83

$1.63 ฿54.4

133.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 NOK 44.78

$2.85 ฿95.3

67.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 43.92

$0.85 ฿28.31

449.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 NOK 678

$53.9 ฿1,801

33.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.65 NOK 90.8

$1.17 ฿39.18

724.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NOK 16.14

$0.57 ฿19.00

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.19

$1.45 ฿48.32

55.17%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$176 NOK 1,654

$62.3 ฿2,083

181.90%

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

$40.89 NOK 385

$12.27 ฿410

233.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 NOK 638

$19.97 ฿668

239.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 467

$37.91 ฿1,267

30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 NOK 128

$6.71 ฿224

102.53%

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

$246 NOK 2,315

$797 ฿26.6K

-69.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NOK 848

$53.3 ฿1,780

69.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 NOK 488

$25.05 ฿837

107.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 999

$91.6 ฿3,062

15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

152.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 NOK 8,610

$305 ฿10.2K

200.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 NOK 20.9K

$915 ฿30.6K

142.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 NOK 17.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

229.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,310 NOK 59.4K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

230.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,510 NOK 33.0K

$595 ฿19.9K

489.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

5.57

-16.16%

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

Last update for Bodo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bodo

$915 37.1%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 66.7% $610

Groceries & Markets

Bodo

$512 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 53.5% $274

Eating Out

Bodo

$458 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 82.8% $379

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bodo

$284 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 66.7% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Bodo

$112 * 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 1.9% $2.1

Getting Around

Bodo

$109 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 43.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Bodo

$77 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 33.1% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,171 in Bodo 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.

Salaries run about 490% higher in Bodo, 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 $128 in Bodo versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $512 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bodo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

5 h ahead of Bodo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,698

127,240

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 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 NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bodo Chiang Mai 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bodo
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

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

Bodo costs about 163% 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 $3,700 per month in Bodo 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,466 in Bodo and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 163%.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Bodo at $2,466. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bodo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,466 in Bodo. 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, Bodo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.