Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Boras

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,888 in Boras, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Boras
Learn more

Boras Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Boras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,888 in Boras.

Chiang Mai $936
Boras $1,888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,215 in Boras.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Boras $2,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,542 in Boras.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Boras $2,542

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 50% less than in Boras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Boras is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$12.97 SEK 127

-82.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$92.1 SEK 904

-79.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.21 SEK 100

-45.64%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.20 SEK 41.22

-60.24%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.13 SEK 20.92

-69.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.03 SEK 19.91

-84.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.84 SEK 67.2

-65.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.24 SEK 71.1

-49.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.62 SEK 15.93

20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.57 SEK 25.21

-43.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.10 SEK 30.43

-57.10%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.45 SEK 43.69

-48.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$12.48 SEK 123

31.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$11.34 SEK 111

-75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.54 SEK 153

-40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.10 SEK 30.40

-24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.62 SEK 25.76

-62.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.83 SEK 27.81

-43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.61 SEK 35.45

-58.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.53 SEK 15.06

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.36 SEK 13.35

-19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.24 SEK 21.97

-68.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.33 SEK 13.07

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.82 SEK 66.9

-39.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.09 SEK 79.4

116.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.74 SEK 17.13

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.58 SEK 15.56

75.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.54 SEK 34.81

-75.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$77.2 SEK 758

-29.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$4.89 SEK 48.01

-76.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.12 SEK 11.01

-52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$41.83 SEK 411

-94.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-16.18%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$24.8K SEK 243.6K

-15.11%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$15.2K SEK 149.3K

77.18%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$59.1 SEK 580

5.21%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$29.27 SEK 287

-58.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$40.09 SEK 394

-49.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$35.54 SEK 349

4.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$25.42 SEK 250

-85.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$14.79 SEK 145

-56.12%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$160 SEK 1,572

359.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$49.67 SEK 488

7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$49.25 SEK 484

-49.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$81.6 SEK 801

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$102 SEK 1,005

-29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$881 SEK 8,651

-64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,473 SEK 24.3K

-76.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.8

16.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Boras: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Boras

$881 46.7% 185% $572

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Boras

$334 17.7% 42.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Boras

$127 6.7% 17.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Boras

$128 6.8% 36% $34

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Boras

$250 13.3% 222% $173

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Boras

$102 5.4% 66.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Boras

$65 3.5% 29.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

Boras pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $92 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $334 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Boras

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

66,273

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Boras 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Boras

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 Boras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,888 in Boras – Chiang Mai is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 30% less than in Boras. 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 Boras are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Boras on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.