Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baerum

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,200 in Baerum, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Baerum
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Baerum Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Baerum

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,200 in Baerum, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Baerum $3,200

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,976 in Baerum, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Baerum $4,976

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,752 in Baerum, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Baerum $6,752

Chiang Mai is about 71% cheaper than Baerum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Baerum is 135% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$21.48 NOK 198

-89.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$131 NOK 1,207

-85.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$16.27 NOK 150

-65.89%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$6.07 NOK 55.9

-72.49%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$4.30 NOK 39.65

-85.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$3.35 NOK 30.86

-90.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$11.64 NOK 107

-79.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$13.09 NOK 121

-72.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.49 NOK 22.90

-21.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$3.67 NOK 33.85

-60.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$4.92 NOK 45.37

-72.97%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$5.89 NOK 54.3

-61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.74 NOK 99.0

53.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$15.80 NOK 146

-82.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$32.14 NOK 296

-71.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.70 NOK 24.86

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.09 NOK 19.30

-53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.10 NOK 19.34

-23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.39 NOK 40.42

-65.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.74 NOK 16.07

-26.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.87 NOK 26.43

-61.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$3.29 NOK 30.29

-78.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$2.53 NOK 23.31

-80.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$19.05 NOK 176

-78.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$17.01 NOK 157

3.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.64 NOK 33.54

-55.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.46 NOK 41.15

-37.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$4.40 NOK 40.57

-80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$12.34 NOK 114

-90.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.83 NOK 16.83

-71.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$70.7 NOK 651

-96.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$2.35 NOK 21.66

-38.30%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$29.2K NOK 269.1K

-27.88%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$26.1K NOK 240.4K

3.30%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$340 NOK 3,129

-81.69%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$34.21 NOK 315

-64.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$55.3 NOK 510

-63.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$54.7 NOK 504

-31.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$15.85 NOK 146

-59.05%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$245 NOK 2,260

200.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$16.0K NOK 147.0K

-7.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$103 NOK 949

-48.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$62.4 NOK 575

-60.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$135 NOK 1,245

-32.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$160 NOK 1,471

-54.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,747 NOK 16.1K

-72.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,546 NOK 14.2K

-80.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$3,538 NOK 32.6K

-71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,995 NOK 27.6K

-78.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$11.3K NOK 104.6K

-79.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$10.1K NOK 93.3K

-84.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$5,569 NOK 51.3K

-89.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.6

21.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baerum: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Baerum

$1.5K 48.3% 400% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Baerum

$484 15.1% 107% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Baerum

$207 6.5% 90.6% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Baerum

$429 13.4% 354% $335

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Baerum

$408 12.8% 427% $331

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Baerum

$39 * 1.2% 36.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Baerum

$86 2.7% 71.8% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,747 in Baerum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Baerum are about 9.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $131 in Baerum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $484 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Baerum

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

03:39 3:39 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

131,136

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Baerum 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baerum

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 Baerum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baerum is pricier by about 242%, 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 $4,800 in Baerum. 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 $1,747 in Baerum.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,200 in Baerum. That makes Chiang Mai about 71% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $245 in Baerum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,200 in Baerum. 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 $3,200 in Baerum. 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, Baerum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.