Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,563 in Bålsta, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
Learn more

Bålsta Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Chiang Mai $936
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 40% less than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Bålsta is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$13.67 SEK 134

-83.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$66.8 SEK 656

-71.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.80 SEK 86.4

-36.93%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.95 SEK 38.79

-57.72%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.68 SEK 26.31

-76.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.24 SEK 21.99

-86.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$7.16 SEK 70.3

-67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.96 SEK 68.3

-47.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.49 SEK 14.62

30.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$2.00 SEK 19.66

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$3.51 SEK 34.42

-62.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.71 SEK 36.45

-38.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.01 SEK 108

49.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$12.21 SEK 120

-77.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.02 SEK 108

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.50 SEK 24.52

-6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$2.60 SEK 25.54

-62.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.07 SEK 20.32

-22.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.90 SEK 28.42

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.50 SEK 14.75

-14.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.18 SEK 11.59

-6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.55 SEK 15.20

-54.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.99 SEK 9.73

-50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$7.26 SEK 71.3

-42.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.20 SEK 100

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.54 SEK 15.07

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.96 SEK 19.26

41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$3.28 SEK 32.18

-73.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$79.1 SEK 776

-31.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$6.03 SEK 59.2

-80.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.54 SEK 15.16

-65.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$77.4 SEK 760

-96.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.76 SEK 17.28

-17.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$33.2K SEK 325.6K

-36.53%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$33.8K SEK 331.6K

-20.28%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$50.1 SEK 491

24.19%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$20.16 SEK 198

-39.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$39.59 SEK 389

-49.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$37.16 SEK 365

0.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$26.37 SEK 259

-85.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$12.93 SEK 127

-49.81%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$121 SEK 1,189

507.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$5,046 SEK 49.5K

192.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$69.2 SEK 679

-22.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$9.93 SEK 97.4

148.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$81.0 SEK 794

13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$113 SEK 1,107

-36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$801 SEK 7,861

-39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$610 SEK 5,982

-49.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,368 SEK 13.4K

-26.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,030 SEK 10.1K

-38.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$4,003 SEK 39.3K

-40.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,823 SEK 27.7K

-43.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,868 SEK 38.0K

-84.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.8

98.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bålsta

$610 39% 97.3% $301

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 27.5% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 13.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bålsta

$110 7% 16.3% $15

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 226% $175

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 72.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bålsta

$63 4% 25.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $801 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays about 6.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $67 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $299 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

13:42 1:42 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,138

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bålsta 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bålsta

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 Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Bålsta. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,563 in Bålsta – Chiang Mai is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 32% less than in Bålsta. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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 Bålsta 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 40% less than in Bålsta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.