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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,834 in Almhult.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $2,867 in Almhult.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $3,900 in Almhult.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 53% less than in Almhult, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Almhult is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$13.46 SEK 130

-85.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$94.0 SEK 910

-80.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$10.70 SEK 104

-30.09%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$4.75 SEK 45.95

-57.47%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$3.10 SEK 30.00

-72.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$2.55 SEK 24.71

-85.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$6.88 SEK 66.6

-68.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$7.83 SEK 75.9

-54.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$1.68 SEK 16.23

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$3.00 SEK 29.08

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$3.30 SEK 31.97

-63.94%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$3.75 SEK 36.33

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$11.53 SEK 112

40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$12.22 SEK 118

-75.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$18.28 SEK 177

-40.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.66 SEK 25.76

1.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$2.40 SEK 23.23

-51.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$2.99 SEK 28.97

-43.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$4.26 SEK 41.21

-62.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.72 SEK 16.61

-19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$1.39 SEK 13.49

-13.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$1.56 SEK 15.08

-57.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$1.54 SEK 14.92

-63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$6.77 SEK 65.5

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$14.34 SEK 139

22.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.56 SEK 15.10

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.61 SEK 25.26

26.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$3.44 SEK 33.26

-74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$74.7 SEK 724

-74.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$10.20 SEK 98.8

-86.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$1.66 SEK 16.08

-19.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$63.2 SEK 612

-87.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.95 SEK 18.85

-37.44%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$32.3K SEK 313.0K

-33.94%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$35.6K SEK 344.9K

-36.76%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$141 SEK 1,363

-49.80%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$25.55 SEK 247

-45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$38.24 SEK 370

-54.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$40.70 SEK 394

3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$25.14 SEK 243

-72.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$17.80 SEK 172

-66.74%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$174 SEK 1,686

77.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$4,201 SEK 40.7K

254.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$87.4 SEK 846

-36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$39.51 SEK 383

-33.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$98.4 SEK 953

-15.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$151 SEK 1,463

-53.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$856 SEK 8,288

-49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$662 SEK 6,412

-63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$1,417 SEK 13.7K

-41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-53.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$3,644 SEK 35.3K

-47.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$3,090 SEK 29.9K

-52.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

15.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Almhult: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $856 in Almhult. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $94.0 in Almhult for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $361 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 113% 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 $1,292 in Chiang Mai and $2,750 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $856 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 286% less than in Almhult. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $174 in Almhult. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $1,834 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 $861 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 113% less than in Almhult. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.