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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,058 in Almhult.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $2,954 in Almhult.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $3,850 in Almhult.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 55% less than in Almhult, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 32% below, Almhult is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$13.96 SEK 138

-85.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$92.9 SEK 915

-78.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$13.64 SEK 134

-58.43%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$5.05 SEK 49.81

-64.16%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$2.98 SEK 29.34

-74.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$2.28 SEK 22.51

-84.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$7.08 SEK 69.8

-68.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$8.00 SEK 78.8

-52.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.75 SEK 17.21

17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.86 SEK 28.14

-47.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$3.14 SEK 30.99

-55.41%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.71 SEK 36.60

-39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$11.99 SEK 118

35.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$11.74 SEK 116

-75.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$17.63 SEK 174

-46.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.62 SEK 25.85

2.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$2.35 SEK 23.12

-53.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$2.86 SEK 28.18

-43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$4.34 SEK 42.78

-66.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$1.65 SEK 16.23

-22.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$1.31 SEK 12.90

-19.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$1.52 SEK 15.00

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$1.70 SEK 16.71

-68.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$6.75 SEK 66.5

-37.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$14.46 SEK 143

26.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.58 SEK 15.54

3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.28 SEK 22.51

27.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$3.50 SEK 34.48

-74.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$80.4 SEK 793

-33.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$6.26 SEK 61.7

-81.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$1.79 SEK 17.68

-67.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$61.7 SEK 608

-96.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.91 SEK 18.79

-24.08%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$34.6K SEK 341.3K

-39.33%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$35.6K SEK 350.3K

-25.67%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$108 SEK 1,067

-41.22%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$19.84 SEK 196

-35.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$35.40 SEK 349

-42.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$38.68 SEK 381

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$26.06 SEK 257

-84.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$19.53 SEK 192

-66.31%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$233 SEK 2,296

236.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$4,498 SEK 44.3K

226.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$92.0 SEK 907

-40.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$34.32 SEK 338

-27.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$94.4 SEK 930

-0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$136 SEK 1,336

-45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$843 SEK 8,308

-41.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$888 SEK 8,753

-67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$1,392 SEK 13.7K

-35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$1,050 SEK 10.3K

-50.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$4,215 SEK 41.5K

-53.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$2,905 SEK 28.6K

-50.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.06

82.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Almhult: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $843 in Almhult. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $93.0 in Almhult for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $357 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Almhult. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $3,087 in Almhult to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $843 in Almhult. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 50% less than in Almhult. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $233 in Almhult. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,058 in Almhult, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Almhult. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $932 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Almhult 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 121% less than in Almhult. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.