Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Akureyri

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,106 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Akureyri

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Akureyri actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,106 in Akureyri, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Akureyri $3,106

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,176 in Akureyri, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Akureyri $4,176

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,246 in Akureyri, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Akureyri $5,246

Chiang Mai is about 70% cheaper than Akureyri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Akureyri is 128% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$24.94 ISK 3,028

-91.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$129 ISK 15.6K

-85.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$22.63 ISK 2,748

-75.48%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.04 ISK 611

-66.87%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$3.35 ISK 406

-80.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.99 ISK 363

-89.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$11.22 ISK 1,362

-78.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$9.62 ISK 1,168

-61.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.77 ISK 337

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.32 ISK 282

-37.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.14 ISK 382

-57.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$7.65 ISK 928

-70.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$15.85 ISK 1,925

3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$24.82 ISK 3,013

-88.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.92 ISK 354

-66.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.45 ISK 419

-53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.08 ISK 738

-75.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$13.71 ISK 1,664

-69.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$2.59 ISK 314

-44.02%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$41.3K ISK 5.0M

-48.98%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$65.2K ISK 7.9M

-58.67%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$121 ISK 14.7K

-48.53%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$25.21 ISK 3,061

-51.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$165 ISK 20.0K

-87.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$84.3 ISK 10.2K

-55.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$15.53 ISK 1,885

-58.21%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$367 ISK 44.6K

100.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$80.8 ISK 9,810

-33.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$122 ISK 14.8K

-25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,835 ISK 222.7K

-73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,833 ISK 222.5K

-83.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,186 ISK 265.4K

-71.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$6,596 ISK 800.8K

-64.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$6,483 ISK 787.1K

-75.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.4

-40.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Akureyri: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Akureyri

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Akureyri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Akureyri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Akureyri

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Akureyri

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Akureyri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Akureyri

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,835 in Akureyri. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $129 in Akureyri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $327 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,219

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Akureyri 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Akureyri

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

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

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 232%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,659 in Akureyri. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,835 in Akureyri.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $129 in Akureyri. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Akureyri, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,106 in Akureyri. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $3,106 in Akureyri. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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