Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Holmestrand

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,962 in Holmestrand, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 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
141

Cost of Living Index in Holmestrand
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Holmestrand Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Holmestrand

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,962 in Holmestrand, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Holmestrand $2,962

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,320 in Holmestrand, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Holmestrand $4,320

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,678 in Holmestrand, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Holmestrand $5,678

Chiang Mai is about 68% cheaper than Holmestrand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Holmestrand is 118% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$21.38 NOK 199

-89.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$129 NOK 1,202

-85.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$16.34 NOK 152

-66.03%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.96 NOK 55.3

-71.98%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$4.52 NOK 42.02

-85.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$3.51 NOK 32.63

-91.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$11.99 NOK 111

-80.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$12.82 NOK 119

-71.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.63 NOK 24.39

-25.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$4.35 NOK 40.40

-66.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$4.82 NOK 44.80

-72.41%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$6.16 NOK 57.3

-62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$15.02 NOK 140

9.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$15.70 NOK 146

-82.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$31.92 NOK 297

-70.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.45 NOK 32.03

-31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.68 NOK 24.94

-63.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.64 NOK 33.78

-56.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$6.00 NOK 55.8

-75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.76 NOK 25.64

-53.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.89 NOK 26.87

-61.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.25 NOK 30.18

-78.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$2.44 NOK 22.67

-79.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$19.30 NOK 179

-78.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$17.17 NOK 160

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.45 NOK 32.04

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.26 NOK 39.60

-34.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$4.21 NOK 39.11

-79.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$95.4 NOK 887

-43.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$12.16 NOK 113

-90.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.85 NOK 17.23

-71.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$71.0 NOK 659

-96.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.51 NOK 23.36

-42.23%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$49.9K NOK 463.8K

-57.81%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$44.8K NOK 415.8K

-39.80%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$436 NOK 4,055

-85.76%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$34.38 NOK 319

-64.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$55.8 NOK 519

-63.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$44.21 NOK 411

-15.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$42.90 NOK 399

-91.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$20.72 NOK 193

-68.68%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$244 NOK 2,268

201.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$16.1K NOK 149.9K

-8.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$103 NOK 960

-48.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$62.2 NOK 578

-60.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$134 NOK 1,242

-31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$162 NOK 1,504

-55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,064 NOK 9,889

-54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,072 NOK 9,955

-71.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,238 NOK 20.8K

-55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,495 NOK 13.9K

-57.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$5,639 NOK 52.4K

-58.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$4,569 NOK 42.5K

-65.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Holmestrand

$1.1K 36.2% 247% $763

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Holmestrand

$527 17.8% 125% $293

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Holmestrand

$207 7% 91% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Holmestrand

$527 17.8% 458% $432

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Holmestrand

$409 13.8% 428% $332

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Holmestrand

$134 4.5% 118% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Holmestrand

$86 2.9% 70.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,064 in Holmestrand. 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 $129 in Holmestrand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $527 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Holmestrand

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

26,932

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Holmestrand 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Holmestrand

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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand costs about 217% 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 $4,442 in Holmestrand. 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 $1,064 in Holmestrand.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $244 in Holmestrand. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 125% more in Holmestrand, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,962 in Holmestrand. 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 $2,962 in Holmestrand. 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 68% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.