Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Birkerød

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,941 in Birkerød, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Birkerød
Learn more

Birkerød Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Birkerød

🇩🇰 Denmark

$1,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,941 in Birkerød, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Birkerød $1,941

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,875 in Birkerød, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Birkerød $2,875

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,808 in Birkerød, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Birkerød $3,808

Chiang Mai is about 52% cheaper than Birkerød, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Birkerød is 43% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$11.27 DKK 75.2

-80.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$52.5 DKK 350

-63.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.57 DKK 77.2

-52.03%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.52 DKK 30.18

-63.05%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$3.69 DKK 24.58

-82.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$2.64 DKK 17.63

-88.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.80 DKK 38.69

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.52 DKK 23.48

3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.98 DKK 13.23

-1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$3.02 DKK 20.13

-52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.91 DKK 12.74

-30.37%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$5.17 DKK 34.48

-55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.48 DKK 56.6

93.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$7.24 DKK 48.27

-61.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$22.25 DKK 148

-58.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.20 DKK 21.31

-26.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.41 DKK 16.09

-59.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.85 DKK 25.68

-58.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.29 DKK 15.30

-34.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.99 DKK 13.24

-35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.12 DKK 14.13

-48.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$2.18 DKK 14.52

-67.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.02 DKK 6.83

-51.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$9.92 DKK 66.1

-58.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.40 DKK 69.4

68.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.85 DKK 12.32

-12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$0.72 DKK 4.81

286.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$3.68 DKK 24.53

-76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$87.3 DKK 582

-38.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$5.90 DKK 39.34

-80.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$1.69 DKK 11.26

-68.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$91.1 DKK 607

-97.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$2.42 DKK 16.12

-40.08%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$52.2K DKK 348.0K

-59.64%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$52.0K DKK 347.1K

-48.23%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$180 DKK 1,201

-65.48%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$11.48 DKK 76.6

6.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$36.86 DKK 246

-45.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.48 DKK 277

-10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$22.23 DKK 148

-83.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$20.98 DKK 140

-69.07%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$1,000 DKK 6,670

-26.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$8,718 DKK 58.1K

69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$108 DKK 723

-50.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$52.8 DKK 352

-53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$128 DKK 857

-28.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$200 DKK 1,334

-64.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$817 DKK 5,447

-40.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$725 DKK 4,836

-57.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,689 DKK 11.3K

-40.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,146 DKK 7,640

-44.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$4,515 DKK 30.1K

-47.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$3,837 DKK 25.6K

-58.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Birkerød: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Birkerød

$725 37.4% 135% $416

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Birkerød

$327 16.8% 39.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Birkerød

$220 11.4% 103% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Birkerød

$228 11.8% 142% $134

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Birkerød

$241 12.4% 210% $163

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Birkerød

$116 6% 89.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Birkerød

$83 4.3% 66% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $817 in Birkerød. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $53 in Birkerød. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $327 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇰 Birkerød

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,539

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 DKK = 0.15 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Birkerød 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Birkerød

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 Birkerød: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $1,941 in Birkerød – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 52% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,911 in Birkerød. 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 $817 in Birkerød.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,941 in Birkerød. That makes Chiang Mai about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,941 in Birkerød. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 52% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.