Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,727 in Karlstad, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,727 in Karlstad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Karlstad $1,727

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,665 in Karlstad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Karlstad $2,665

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,603 in Karlstad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Karlstad $3,603

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Karlstad is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$15.14 SEK 149

-85.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$80.5 SEK 791

-76.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.07 SEK 98.9

-44.89%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.86 SEK 47.71

-65.64%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.45 SEK 24.02

-73.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$2.16 SEK 21.26

-85.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-70.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.60 SEK 64.8

-44.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.45 SEK 14.23

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.83 SEK 27.82

-49.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.68 SEK 36.16

-63.86%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.37 SEK 42.88

-47.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.17 SEK 99.9

61.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$13.96 SEK 137

-80.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$17.73 SEK 174

-47.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.95 SEK 28.93

-20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.68 SEK 26.36

-63.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.03 SEK 29.73

-47.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-72.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.92 SEK 18.81

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.72 SEK 16.85

-36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.64 SEK 25.89

-73.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.30 SEK 12.75

-62.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.96 SEK 68.3

-40.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.17 SEK 99.9

72.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.42 SEK 23.81

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.04 SEK 19.99

36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.13 SEK 30.72

-72.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$80.4 SEK 789

-32.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$5.46 SEK 53.6

-78.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.29 SEK 12.68

-58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$60.4 SEK 593

-95.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.72 SEK 16.91

-15.70%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$32.6K SEK 320.6K

-35.49%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$33.8K SEK 331.4K

-20.18%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$99.4 SEK 976

-37.44%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$15.73 SEK 154

-22.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$43.76 SEK 430

-54.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$45.27 SEK 445

-17.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$16.66 SEK 164

-77.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$14.08 SEK 138

-53.91%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$126 SEK 1,237

484.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$106 SEK 1,038

-49.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$39.85 SEK 391

-38.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$75.9 SEK 745

20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$141 SEK 1,385

-49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$868 SEK 8,524

-44.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$575 SEK 5,642

-46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

-15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$867 SEK 8,510

-26.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

-38.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

-42.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

-81.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.09

36.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 86% $266

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 58% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 50.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 68.2% $64

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 263% $204

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 70.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 46.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $868 in Karlstad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karlstad are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $81 in Karlstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $370 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

62,797

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Karlstad 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad costs about 85% 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 $2,590 in Karlstad. 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 $868 in Karlstad.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $126 in Karlstad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Karlstad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,727 in Karlstad. 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 $1,727 in Karlstad. 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, Karlstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.