Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Härnösand

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,748 in Härnösand, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Härnösand, Sweden
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Härnösand
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,748
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,748 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Härnösand $1,748

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,731 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Härnösand $2,731

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,714 in Härnösand, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Härnösand $3,714

Chiang Mai is about 46% cheaper than Härnösand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Härnösand is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$13.79 SEK 135
-83.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$76.6 SEK 751
-75.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$10.27 SEK 101
-45.96%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$4.46 SEK 43.76
-62.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$2.70 SEK 26.49
-76.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$2.23 SEK 21.92
-86.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$7.09 SEK 69.5
-66.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$6.91 SEK 67.8
-47.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$1.69 SEK 16.62
15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.46
$2.78 SEK 27.32
-48.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.03
$3.45 SEK 33.82
-61.45%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.97 SEK 38.94
-42.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$12.24 SEK 120
34.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$12.30 SEK 121
-77.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$17.58 SEK 173
-47.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$3.09 SEK 30.28
-23.95%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.79
$2.58 SEK 25.32
-62.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$2.93 SEK 28.77
-45.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$4.40 SEK 43.14
-65.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.11
$1.63 SEK 15.95
-21.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.18
$1.62 SEK 15.93
-32.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$2.20 SEK 21.61
-67.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$1.52 SEK 14.90
-67.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$7.31 SEK 71.8
-43.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$9.99 SEK 98.1
75.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.99 SEK 19.52
-19.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$2.28 SEK 22.38
21.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.30
$3.35 SEK 32.84
-74.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$76.5 SEK 750
-29.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.04
$6.13 SEK 60.1
-81.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$1.71 SEK 16.81
-69.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$58.4 SEK 573
-95.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.88
$1.81 SEK 17.80
-19.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.5K
$33.0K SEK 323.8K
-36.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.0K
$33.6K SEK 329.3K
-19.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$105 SEK 1,027
-40.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$25.75 SEK 253
-52.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$39.20 SEK 385
-48.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$37.21 SEK 365
0.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$26.33 SEK 258
-85.68%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$15.91 SEK 156
-59.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$159 SEK 1,565
361.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.2K
$5,078 SEK 49.8K
190.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$99.8 SEK 979
-46.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$39.85 SEK 391
-38.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$91.8 SEK 900
-0.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,427
$141 SEK 1,388
-49.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$793 SEK 7,777
-39.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$614 SEK 6,021
-49.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$1,357 SEK 13.3K
-25.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$1,027 SEK 10.1K
-38.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
$4,074 SEK 40.0K
-41.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$2,839 SEK 27.9K
-44.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Härnösand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.37
65.28%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Härnösand: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Härnösand
$614 98.6% $305
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Härnösand
$360 53.5% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Härnösand
$168 54.4% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Härnösand
$170 79.5% $75
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Härnösand
$264 240% $186
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Härnösand
$105 70.4% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Härnösand
$69 37.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $793 in Härnösand. 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 $77 in Härnösand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $360 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇸🇪 Härnösand
🕒 Local time
03:46 3:46 AM
21:46 9:46 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
24,689
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Härnösand 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Härnösand

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 Härnösand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Härnösand?
Härnösand costs about 87% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Härnösand?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,622 in Härnösand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Härnösand?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $793 in Härnösand.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Härnösand?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $159 in Härnösand. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Härnösand?
Groceries cost about 53% more in Härnösand, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Härnösand?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,748 in Härnösand. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Härnösand?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,748 in Härnösand. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Härnösand?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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