Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Drangsnes

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,712 in Drangsnes, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. The total is higher in Drangsnes despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Drangsnes
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Drangsnes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Drangsnes

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,712 in Drangsnes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Drangsnes $1,712

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,910 in Drangsnes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Drangsnes $2,910

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,109 in Drangsnes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Drangsnes $4,109

Chiang Mai is about 45% cheaper than Drangsnes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Drangsnes is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$30.53 ISK 3,703

-92.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$122 ISK 14.8K

-84.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$27.37 ISK 3,320

-79.58%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$6.65 ISK 806

-74.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$3.40 ISK 412

-81.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$3.02 ISK 366

-89.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$14.04 ISK 1,703

-83.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$12.40 ISK 1,504

-68.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.10 ISK 255

-2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$4.32 ISK 523

-67.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.65 ISK 443

-64.93%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$6.97 ISK 845

-67.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$21.84 ISK 2,649

-22.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$24.20 ISK 2,935

-88.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$41.38 ISK 5,019

-77.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.35 ISK 406

-28.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.78 ISK 337

-63.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.27 ISK 397

-50.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$6.43 ISK 780

-76.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$3.81 ISK 462

-66.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.63 ISK 198

-31.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$3.82 ISK 463

-81.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.81 ISK 219

-71.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$14.12 ISK 1,713

-69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$23.60 ISK 2,862

-24.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.69 ISK 447

-55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.33 ISK 403

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$6.66 ISK 808

-82.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.91 ISK 353

-80.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$80.9 ISK 9,806

-97.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.12 ISK 257

-31.60%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$50.3K ISK 6.1M

-59.30%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$53.0K ISK 6.4M

-49.94%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$95.5 ISK 11.6K

-34.71%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$32.50 ISK 3,942

-62.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$85.5 ISK 10.4K

-76.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$19.83 ISK 2,405

-66.16%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$1,173 ISK 142.3K

-32.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$26.3K ISK 3.2M

-43.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$150 ISK 18.1K

-64.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$66.2 ISK 8,034

-62.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$180 ISK 21.9K

-49.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$250 ISK 30.4K

-70.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$6,197 ISK 751.6K

-90.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.81

-36.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Drangsnes: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Drangsnes

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Drangsnes

$620 36.2% 161% $382

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Drangsnes

$291 17% 166% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Drangsnes

$213 12.5% 126% $119

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Drangsnes

$527 30.8% 567% $448

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Drangsnes

$21 * 1.2% 65.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Drangsnes

$40 * 2.3% 22.8% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 941% higher in Drangsnes, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $122 in Drangsnes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $620 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇸 Drangsnes

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Drangsnes 9,390 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Drangsnes

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 Drangsnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drangsnes costs about 82% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,568 in Drangsnes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $122 in Drangsnes. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 161% more in Drangsnes, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Drangsnes at $1,712. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Drangsnes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,712 in Drangsnes. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Drangsnes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.