Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hellerup

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,189 in Hellerup, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Hellerup, Denmark
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Hellerup
🇩🇰 Denmark
$2,189
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,189 in Hellerup, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Hellerup $2,189

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,437 in Hellerup, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Hellerup $3,437

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,685 in Hellerup, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Hellerup $4,685

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Hellerup is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$21.04 DKK 141
-89.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$110 DKK 736
-83.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$13.49 DKK 90.2
-58.49%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$7.03 DKK 46.99
-76.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.83
$4.13 DKK 27.63
-84.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$3.42 DKK 22.86
-91.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.4
$8.39 DKK 56.1
-72.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$7.46 DKK 49.86
-50.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$2.03 DKK 13.57
-0.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.51
$3.97 DKK 26.56
-64.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.96
$2.37 DKK 15.86
-41.35%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$4.79 DKK 31.98
-50.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$15.70 DKK 105
5.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$11.32 DKK 75.7
-76.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$18.13 DKK 121
-50.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$3.17 DKK 21.20
-24.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.13
$3.06 DKK 20.46
-66.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$3.74 DKK 24.97
-55.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$5.11 DKK 34.13
-69.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.76
$2.23 DKK 14.92
-44.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.66
$2.03 DKK 13.55
-46.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$2.02 DKK 13.51
-62.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.35
$1.36 DKK 9.10
-62.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$9.40 DKK 62.9
-56.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$10.24 DKK 68.4
75.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$1.85 DKK 12.36
-12.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$2.52 DKK 16.84
11.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.53
$3.79 DKK 25.31
-75.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,785
$87.9 DKK 588
-39.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.70
$5.66 DKK 37.81
-79.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.79
$1.67 DKK 11.18
-89.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$61.4 DKK 410
-97.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$2.49 DKK 16.66
-40.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.9K
$50.4K DKK 336.6K
-58.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.6K
$52.7K DKK 351.9K
-49.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,111
$184 DKK 1,233
-66.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿392
$11.36 DKK 75.9
2.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$36.75 DKK 246
-44.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
$40.73 DKK 272
-7.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
$24.88 DKK 166
-85.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$20.66 DKK 138
-68.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$717 DKK 4,790
1.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.2K
$6,041 DKK 40.4K
174.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,807
$107 DKK 716
-50.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿837
$46.19 DKK 309
-46.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,050
$127 DKK 849
-28.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$189 DKK 1,263
-61.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$937 DKK 6,260
-48.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
$774 DKK 5,175
-59.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$1,643 DKK 11.0K
-35.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
$1,316 DKK 8,795
-49.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.6K
$4,512 DKK 30.2K
-46.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
$3,302 DKK 22.1K
-51.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Hellerup
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.67
51.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hellerup: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Hellerup
$774 150% $464
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Hellerup
$391 65.4% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Hellerup
$211 95% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Hellerup
$233 146% $138
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Hellerup
$380 397% $304
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Hellerup
$117 99.6% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Hellerup
$82 61.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $937 in Hellerup. 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 $110 in Hellerup. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $391 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇩🇰 Hellerup
🕒 Local time
03:15 3:15 AM
21:15 9:15 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
75,805
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Hellerup 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Hellerup

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 Hellerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Hellerup?
Hellerup costs about 134% 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 Hellerup?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,283 in Hellerup. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Hellerup?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $937 in Hellerup.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Hellerup?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $717 in Hellerup. 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 Hellerup?
Groceries cost about 65% more in Hellerup, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Hellerup?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,189 in Hellerup. 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 Hellerup?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,189 in Hellerup. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Hellerup?
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 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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