Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Almhult

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,993 in Almhult, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Almhult
Learn more

Almhult Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Almhult

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Almhult actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,993 in Almhult.

Chiang Mai $936
Almhult $1,993

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,848 in Almhult.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Almhult $2,848

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $3,704 in Almhult.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Almhult $3,704

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 53% less than in Almhult, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Almhult is 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$13.17 SEK 129

-82.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$85.6 SEK 840

-77.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$12.70 SEK 125

-56.30%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.97 SEK 48.84

-66.40%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.90 SEK 28.43

-77.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.40 SEK 23.54

-87.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$7.16 SEK 70.3

-67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.53 SEK 74.0

-51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.72 SEK 16.92

13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.71 SEK 26.62

-46.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.20 SEK 31.47

-58.44%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.60 SEK 35.39

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.58 SEK 114

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$11.43 SEK 112

-75.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.69 SEK 164

-44.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.56 SEK 25.17

-8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.31 SEK 22.68

-58.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.86 SEK 28.04

-44.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.33 SEK 42.52

-65.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.58 SEK 15.50

-18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.30 SEK 12.72

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.47 SEK 14.45

-51.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.59 SEK 15.59

-69.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.51 SEK 63.9

-36.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$15.37 SEK 151

13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.49 SEK 14.62

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.17 SEK 21.35

28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.40 SEK 33.38

-74.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$77.8 SEK 763

-30.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$6.23 SEK 61.2

-81.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.72 SEK 16.94

-69.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$58.9 SEK 579

-95.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.76 SEK 17.26

-17.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$33.3K SEK 327.2K

-36.81%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$34.5K SEK 338.7K

-21.90%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$105 SEK 1,033

-40.89%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$19.57 SEK 192

-37.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$33.93 SEK 333

-40.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$38.27 SEK 376

-2.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$26.63 SEK 262

-85.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$18.58 SEK 182

-65.07%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$226 SEK 2,215

226.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$4,338 SEK 42.6K

240.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$87.7 SEK 861

-39.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$33.71 SEK 331

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$90.1 SEK 885

1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$133 SEK 1,310

-46.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$793 SEK 7,789

-39.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$874 SEK 8,582

-64.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,343 SEK 13.2K

-25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,017 SEK 9,985

-37.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,111 SEK 40.4K

-42.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,786 SEK 27.4K

-42.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Almhult: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Almhult

$874 43.9% 183% $565

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Almhult

$348 17.5% 48.5% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Almhult

$155 7.8% 42.9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Almhult

$159 8% 68% $64

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Almhult

$275 13.8% 255% $198

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Almhult

$106 5.3% 73.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Almhult

$75 3.8% 50% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $793 in Almhult. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $86 in Almhult for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $348 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Almhult

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

08:07 8:07 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

18,039

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Almhult 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Almhult

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 Almhult: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 53% 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 $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $2,989 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $793 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 30% less than in Almhult. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $226 in Almhult. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Almhult. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.