Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ilulissat

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,605 in Ilulissat, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Ilulissat
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Ilulissat Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ilulissat

🇬🇱 Greenland

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,605 in Ilulissat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ilulissat $2,605

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,921 in Ilulissat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ilulissat $3,921

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,237 in Ilulissat, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ilulissat $5,237

Chiang Mai is about 64% cheaper than Ilulissat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Ilulissat is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$29.90 DKK 200

-92.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$109 DKK 730

-82.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$18.31 DKK 123

-69.69%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.90 DKK 39.51

-71.69%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.97 DKK 19.86

-89.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$12.49 DKK 83.7

-81.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.89 DKK 46.17

-46.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$3.04 DKK 20.34

-35.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$5.15 DKK 34.47

-72.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$4.40 DKK 29.46

-69.77%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$33.09 DKK 222

-50.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$38.37 DKK 257

-92.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.59 DKK 171

-63.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$5.86 DKK 39.23

-59.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$5.13 DKK 34.38

-81.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$5.86 DKK 39.27

-72.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.46 DKK 29.84

-66.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$3.81 DKK 25.55

-66.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$5.32 DKK 35.64

-79.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$6.55 DKK 43.88

-89.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$3.05 DKK 20.44

-83.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$22.20 DKK 149

-21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.94 DKK 26.41

-29.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.72 DKK 24.94

-76.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$88.6 DKK 594

-38.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$3.02 DKK 20.21

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$5.90 DKK 39.52

-91.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.58 DKK 50.8

-68.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.77 DKK 5.15

88.31%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$39.3K DKK 263.3K

-46.43%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$13.6K DKK 91.0K

98.28%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$257 DKK 1,724

-75.84%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$65.7 DKK 440

-81.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$180 DKK 1,205

-88.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$590 DKK 3,955

24.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$10.4K DKK 69.5K

42.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$52.6 DKK 352

-53.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$161 DKK 1,080

-43.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$225 DKK 1,505

-67.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$470 DKK 3,146

2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$605 DKK 4,053

-48.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$873 DKK 5,848

15.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$842 DKK 5,642

-24.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,799 DKK 25.4K

-37.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,000 DKK 26.8K

-60.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,988 DKK 13.3K

-70.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.95

12.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ilulissat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ilulissat

$605 23.2% 95.9% $296

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ilulissat

$710 * 27.3% 203% $476

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ilulissat

$197 * 7.6% 81.6% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ilulissat

$503 19.3% 433% $409

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ilulissat

$453 * 17.4% 484% $375

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ilulissat

$136 5.2% 122% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ilulissat

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $470 in Ilulissat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ilulissat are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $109 in Ilulissat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $710 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇱 Ilulissat

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

08:08 8:08 AM

9 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

4,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 DKK = 0.149 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.7 DKK (1 DKK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ilulissat 9,940 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ilulissat

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 Ilulissat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilulissat costs about 178% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,907 in Ilulissat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $470 in Ilulissat. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $590 in Ilulissat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 203% more in Ilulissat, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,605 in Ilulissat. 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 $2,605 in Ilulissat. 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, Ilulissat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.