Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 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
147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $3,093 in Bergen.

Chiang Mai $936
Bergen $3,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $4,619 in Bergen.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bergen $4,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $6,145 in Bergen.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bergen $6,145

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 70% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Bergen is 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$23.85 NOK 223

-90.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$141 NOK 1,319

-86.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$16.30 NOK 152

-65.95%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.62 NOK 52.4

-70.28%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$5.19 NOK 48.46

-87.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$4.57 NOK 42.67

-93.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$12.92 NOK 121

-81.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$10.71 NOK 99.9

-65.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.35 NOK 21.90

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.83 NOK 35.77

-62.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.45 NOK 32.17

-61.45%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$6.67 NOK 62.3

-65.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$14.89 NOK 139

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$17.88 NOK 167

-84.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$37.65 NOK 351

-75.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.10 NOK 38.29

-42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.80 NOK 26.15

-65.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.70 NOK 34.54

-56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$5.54 NOK 51.7

-72.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.46 NOK 23.01

-47.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.41 NOK 31.82

-67.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.08 NOK 28.73

-76.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.83 NOK 17.10

-73.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$17.65 NOK 165

-76.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$19.73 NOK 184

-11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.83 NOK 35.73

-57.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.44 NOK 41.43

-37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$5.32 NOK 49.70

-83.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$89.0 NOK 831

-39.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$12.82 NOK 120

-90.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.95 NOK 18.23

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$74.9 NOK 699

-96.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.41 NOK 22.47

-39.83%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$50.1K NOK 467.3K

-57.94%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$44.8K NOK 417.9K

-39.82%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$292 NOK 2,722

-78.68%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$33.90 NOK 316

-64.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$85.1 NOK 794

-76.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$48.43 NOK 452

-22.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$44.06 NOK 411

-91.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$19.28 NOK 180

-66.34%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$251 NOK 2,342

193.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$12.0K NOK 111.8K

23.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$108 NOK 1,005

-50.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$56.1 NOK 523

-56.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$120 NOK 1,121

-23.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$166 NOK 1,549

-56.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,627 NOK 15.2K

-70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,283 NOK 12.0K

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,668 NOK 24.9K

-62.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,928 NOK 18.0K

-67.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$8,228 NOK 76.8K

-71.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$5,382 NOK 50.2K

-70.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$4,732 NOK 44.2K

-87.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.27

5.69%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5% 315% $974

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bergen

$545 17.6% 133% $311

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bergen

$202 6.5% 86.3% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bergen

$411 13.3% 335% $316

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bergen

$432 14% 457% $355

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bergen

$133 4.3% 117% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bergen

$87 2.8% 73% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $1,627 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays about 8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $141 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $545 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

20:02 8:02 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

292,482

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.71 USD

100 NOK = 9.62 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.33 NOK (1 NOK = 0.107 USD). 1 EUR = 10.39 NOK (100 NOK = 9.62 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bergen 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bergen

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 Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 231% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% 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 $1,627 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $251 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $936 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 Bergen 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 70% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.