Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boras and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,888 in Boras, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Boras
Learn more

Boras Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Boras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,888

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,888 in Boras versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Boras $1,888
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,215 in Boras versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Boras $2,215
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,542 in Boras versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Boras $2,542
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Boras is roughly 102% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boras is 39% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.97 SEK 127

$2.24 ฿75.6

479.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 SEK 904

$19.00 ฿641

384.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 SEK 100

$5.55 ฿187

83.96%

Cappuccino

$4.20 SEK 41.19

$1.67 ฿56.5

151.50%

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

$2.13 SEK 20.91

$0.64 ฿21.54

232.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 19.90

$0.31 ฿10.31

554.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 SEK 67.1

$2.36 ฿79.5

189.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 SEK 71.0

$3.66 ฿124

97.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.92

$1.95 ฿65.7

-16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 25.20

$1.44 ฿48.46

78.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.41

$1.33 ฿45.03

133.08%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 43.66

$2.28 ฿77.1

95.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 SEK 122

$16.45 ฿555

-24.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 SEK 111

$2.78 ฿93.9

307.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 SEK 153

$9.31 ฿314

66.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.38

$2.35 ฿79.4

31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.74

$0.97 ฿32.79

170.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.79

$1.60 ฿53.9

76.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 35.43

$1.50 ฿50.6

140.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 15.05

$1.28 ฿43.11

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 SEK 13.35

$1.10 ฿37.18

23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 SEK 21.96

$0.71 ฿23.82

215.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 SEK 13.06

$0.49 ฿16.36

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 SEK 66.9

$4.14 ฿140

64.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 SEK 79.4

$17.52 ฿591

-53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 17.12

$1.61 ฿54.5

8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SEK 15.55

$2.78 ฿93.9

-43.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 SEK 34.78

$0.87 ฿29.30

306.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 SEK 758

$54.1 ฿1,825

42.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 SEK 47.98

$1.16 ฿39.04

321.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 SEK 11.01

$0.53 ฿17.80

111.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.83 SEK 410

$2.42 ฿81.7

1628.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.00

$1.45 ฿48.88

19.31%

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

$24.8K SEK 243.4K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

17.80%

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

$15.2K SEK 149.2K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-43.56%

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

$59.1 SEK 580

$62.2 ฿2,098

-4.95%

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

$29.27 SEK 287

$12.17 ฿411

140.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.09 SEK 393

$20.12 ฿679

99.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 SEK 349

$37.31 ฿1,259

-4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.42 SEK 249

$3.77 ฿127

574.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 SEK 145

$6.49 ฿219

127.89%

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

$160 SEK 1,571

$736 ฿24.8K

-78.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.67 SEK 487

$53.4 ฿1,801

-6.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.25 SEK 483

$24.64 ฿831

99.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 SEK 801

$91.5 ฿3,087

-10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 SEK 1,004

$71.9 ฿2,427

42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 SEK 8,646

$309 ฿10.4K

185.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,473 SEK 24.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

319.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.57

-13.82%

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

Last update for Boras: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boras

$881 46.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 64.9% $572

Groceries & Markets

Boras

$334 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 29.8% $99

Eating Out

Boras

$250 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 69% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boras

$128 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 26.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Boras

$127 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 14.7% $19

Getting Around

Boras

$102 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 39.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Boras

$65 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

Boras pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $92 in Boras vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Boras

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

6 h ahead of Boras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,273

127,240

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boras Chiang Mai 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Boras
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

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

Chiang Mai is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Boras is about 4.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,888 per month in Boras versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 30% less than in Boras. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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, Boras and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Boras on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.