Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,179 in Grimstad, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,179 in Grimstad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Grimstad $2,179

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,734 in Grimstad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Grimstad $3,734

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,290 in Grimstad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Grimstad $5,290

Chiang Mai is about 57% cheaper than Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Grimstad is 60% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$21.29 NOK 198

-89.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$79.4 NOK 737

-76.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$15.38 NOK 143

-63.91%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.87 NOK 45.25

-65.71%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$4.20 NOK 38.99

-84.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$3.41 NOK 31.65

-90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$11.76 NOK 109

-79.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$10.54 NOK 97.9

-65.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.65 NOK 24.59

-26.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.74 NOK 34.70

-61.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.24 NOK 30.07

-58.95%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.60 NOK 33.41

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$12.94 NOK 120

27.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$14.43 NOK 134

-80.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$24.57 NOK 228

-62.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.17 NOK 20.19

8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.47 NOK 22.93

-60.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.57 NOK 33.20

-55.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.38 NOK 40.72

-65.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.73 NOK 25.37

-53.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.92 NOK 27.12

-62.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.25 NOK 30.18

-78.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.86 NOK 17.25

-73.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$19.23 NOK 179

-78.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$16.29 NOK 151

7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.52 NOK 32.71

-54.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.28 NOK 39.77

-35.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$5.27 NOK 48.95

-83.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$92.6 NOK 860

-41.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$12.16 NOK 113

-90.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.84 NOK 17.09

-71.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$72.4 NOK 673

-96.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.36 NOK 21.89

-38.56%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$50.2K NOK 466.2K

-58.03%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$45.0K NOK 418.5K

-40.19%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$314 NOK 2,913

-80.17%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$34.50 NOK 321

-64.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$55.8 NOK 518

-63.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$43.72 NOK 406

-14.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$16.41 NOK 152

-60.45%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$242 NOK 2,251

203.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$15.9K NOK 148.1K

-7.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$94.8 NOK 881

-43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$53.1 NOK 494

-53.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$106 NOK 985

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$163 NOK 1,510

-55.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$902 NOK 8,382

-46.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$545 NOK 5,062

-43.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,988 NOK 18.5K

-49.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,825 NOK 17.0K

-65.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,724 NOK 43.9K

-49.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$3,502 NOK 32.5K

-54.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$4,577 NOK 42.5K

-87.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.9

13.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Grimstad

$545 25% 76.4% $236

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Grimstad

$446 20.5% 90.2% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Grimstad

$187 8.6% 72.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Grimstad

$404 18.5% 328% $309

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Grimstad

$385 17.7% 397% $308

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Grimstad

$135 6.2% 120% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Grimstad

$77 3.5% 52.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $902 in Grimstad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Grimstad are about 7.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $79 in Grimstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $446 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

07:28 7:28 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

25,093

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 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 29, 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Grimstad 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Grimstad

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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad costs about 133% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,268 in Grimstad. 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 $902 in Grimstad.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $242 in Grimstad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in Grimstad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,179 in Grimstad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,179 in Grimstad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

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