Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gjovik

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,573 in Gjovik, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Gjovik
Learn more

Gjovik Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Gjovik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,573 in Gjovik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Gjovik $2,573

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,071 in Gjovik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Gjovik $3,071

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,569 in Gjovik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Gjovik $3,569

Chiang Mai is about 64% cheaper than Gjovik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Gjovik is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$21.07 NOK 198

-89.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$126 NOK 1,184

-84.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$15.84 NOK 149

-64.71%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.23 NOK 39.80

-59.34%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$3.19 NOK 30.02

-79.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$3.04 NOK 28.61

-89.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$10.14 NOK 95.5

-76.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$8.59 NOK 80.9

-54.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.46 NOK 23.12

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$4.07 NOK 38.34

-65.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$4.60 NOK 43.33

-72.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$5.94 NOK 55.9

-62.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$14.51 NOK 137

16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$15.16 NOK 143

-81.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$30.98 NOK 292

-69.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.25 NOK 30.63

-26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.65 NOK 24.91

-61.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.43 NOK 32.24

-53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$5.79 NOK 54.6

-73.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.64 NOK 24.89

-51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.93 NOK 27.62

-62.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$3.07 NOK 28.94

-76.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$2.43 NOK 22.87

-78.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$18.62 NOK 175

-76.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$16.25 NOK 153

9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.42 NOK 32.15

-52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$4.20 NOK 39.52

-32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$2.89 NOK 27.16

-70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$11.95 NOK 113

-90.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.87 NOK 17.56

-69.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$68.8 NOK 647

-96.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.33 NOK 21.96

-37.77%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$47.3K NOK 444.8K

-56.67%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$44.7K NOK 420.8K

-40.69%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$275 NOK 2,588

-77.33%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$33.14 NOK 312

-62.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$53.4 NOK 502

-62.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$42.59 NOK 401

-10.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$14.74 NOK 139

-54.48%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$233 NOK 2,195

241.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$15.8K NOK 148.7K

-6.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$100 NOK 944

-46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$59.3 NOK 559

-57.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$130 NOK 1,223

-29.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$154 NOK 1,447

-52.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$1,591 NOK 15.0K

-70.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,040 NOK 9,788

-70.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$2,078 NOK 19.6K

-55.94%

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

$3,746 NOK 35.3K

-84.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.94

12.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gjovik: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Gjovik

$1K 40.4% 241% $735

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Gjovik

$508 19.7% 113% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Gjovik

$199 7.8% 82.1% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Gjovik

$361 14.1% 282% $267

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Gjovik

$360 14% 355% $281

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Gjovik

$33 * 1.3% 46.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Gjovik

$72 2.8% 40.4% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,591 in Gjovik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 529% higher in Gjovik, 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 $126 in Gjovik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $508 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Gjovik

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

31,007

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Gjovik 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gjovik

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 Gjovik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gjovik costs about 174% 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 $3,859 in Gjovik. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $126 in Gjovik. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 113% more in Gjovik, 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 Gjovik at $2,573. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gjovik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,573 in Gjovik. 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, Gjovik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.