Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Asker

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,836 in Asker, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Asker
Learn more

Asker Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Asker

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,836

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,836 in Asker, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Asker $2,836

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,034 in Asker, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Asker $4,034

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,232 in Asker, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Asker $5,232

Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper than Asker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Asker is 108% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$21.43 NOK 198

-89.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$65.3 NOK 604

-70.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$12.75 NOK 118

-56.47%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$6.05 NOK 56.0

-72.40%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$3.00 NOK 27.72

-78.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.90 NOK 17.59

-83.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$11.99 NOK 111

-80.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$12.00 NOK 111

-69.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.25 NOK 20.82

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$3.45 NOK 31.90

-58.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$3.69 NOK 34.15

-63.96%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.59 NOK 33.21

-36.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$3.77 NOK 34.89

336.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$12.05 NOK 111

-76.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.71 NOK 80.6

6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$3.46 NOK 32.05

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.63 NOK 24.35

-63.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$3.55 NOK 32.84

-54.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.74 NOK 43.81

-68.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$2.80 NOK 25.92

-54.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$2.92 NOK 26.98

-62.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.59 NOK 14.70

-55.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$2.13 NOK 19.74

-77.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$19.54 NOK 181

-78.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$16.64 NOK 154

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$3.60 NOK 33.27

-55.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.44 NOK 41.04

-37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$4.82 NOK 44.54

-81.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$82.9 NOK 766

-34.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$12.20 NOK 113

-90.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.94 NOK 17.90

-72.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$72.8 NOK 673

-96.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$2.23 NOK 20.65

-34.98%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$50.3K NOK 465.1K

-58.12%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$45.7K NOK 422.6K

-41.03%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$435 NOK 4,026

-85.71%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$32.22 NOK 298

-62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$31.68 NOK 293

-36.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$49.38 NOK 457

-24.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$38.25 NOK 354

-90.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$16.40 NOK 152

-60.43%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$238 NOK 2,200

209.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$15.8K NOK 146.3K

-6.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$105 NOK 970

-49.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$61.1 NOK 565

-59.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$138 NOK 1,274

-33.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$159 NOK 1,474

-54.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

-68.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,176 NOK 10.9K

-73.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,214 NOK 20.5K

-54.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$1,875 NOK 17.3K

-66.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$6,322 NOK 58.5K

-62.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,278 NOK 39.6K

-62.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$4,052 NOK 37.5K

-85.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.87

43.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Asker: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Asker

$1.2K 41.5% 281% $867

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Asker

$361 12.7% 54.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Asker

$208 7.4% 91.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Asker

$499 17.6% 428% $405

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Asker

$386 13.6% 397% $308

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Asker

$124 4.4% 102% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Asker

$82 2.9% 63.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,542 in Asker. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Asker are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $65 in Asker. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $361 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Asker

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

99,214

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.3 NOK (100 NOK = 9.71 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Asker 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Asker

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 Asker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asker costs about 203% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,254 in Asker. 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 $1,542 in Asker.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $238 in Asker. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Asker, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,836 in Asker. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,836 in Asker. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.