Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kiruna

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,747 in Kiruna, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Kiruna
Learn more

Kiruna Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Kiruna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,747 in Kiruna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Kiruna $1,747

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,915 in Kiruna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Kiruna $2,915

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,082 in Kiruna, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Kiruna $4,082

Chiang Mai is about 47% cheaper than Kiruna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Kiruna is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$13.82 SEK 137

-83.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$128 SEK 1,270

-84.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$10.40 SEK 103

-46.06%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.33 SEK 42.90

-61.66%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.69 SEK 26.70

-73.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$2.26 SEK 22.37

-86.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$9.54 SEK 94.5

-74.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$6.59 SEK 65.3

-43.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.45 SEK 14.34

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.80 SEK 27.79

-49.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$3.72 SEK 36.83

-64.78%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.55 SEK 35.18

-38.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.29 SEK 122

35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$13.80 SEK 137

-80.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$19.62 SEK 194

-53.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.79 SEK 27.66

-14.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.53 SEK 25.12

-59.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.61 SEK 25.90

-37.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$4.40 SEK 43.63

-65.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.47 SEK 14.58

-12.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.59 SEK 15.77

-30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$2.01 SEK 19.93

-64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$1.56 SEK 15.46

-66.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$6.46 SEK 64.0

-33.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$9.69 SEK 96.1

85.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.98 SEK 19.65

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.99 SEK 19.75

42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$3.22 SEK 31.95

-73.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$79.4 SEK 787

-32.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$5.85 SEK 57.9

-79.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.68 SEK 16.68

-66.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$56.9 SEK 563

-95.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$2.11 SEK 20.90

-31.75%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$31.3K SEK 310.1K

-33.77%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$33.3K SEK 329.6K

-19.43%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$95.9 SEK 951

-35.03%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$24.86 SEK 246

-51.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$35.94 SEK 356

-44.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$37.74 SEK 374

-1.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$25.04 SEK 248

-84.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$15.92 SEK 158

-59.17%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$152 SEK 1,506

421.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,610 SEK 55.6K

163.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$100 SEK 993

-46.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$44.87 SEK 445

-45.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$81.8 SEK 810

11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$139 SEK 1,378

-48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$812 SEK 8,047

-43.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$610 SEK 6,043

-51.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,363 SEK 13.5K

-33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,123 SEK 11.1K

-50.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,456 SEK 34.2K

-44.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,527 SEK 25.0K

-42.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$3,257 SEK 32.3K

-81.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Kiruna

$610 34.9% 105% $312

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Kiruna

$366 20.9% 55.3% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Kiruna

$165 9.4% 52.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Kiruna

$157 9% 66.1% $62

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Kiruna

$274 15.7% 249% $196

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kiruna

$107 6.1% 75.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kiruna

$70 4% 39% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $812 in Kiruna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 451% higher in Kiruna, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $128 in Kiruna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $366 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Kiruna

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

22,454

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kiruna 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kiruna

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 Kiruna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiruna costs about 89% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,621 in Kiruna. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $152 in Kiruna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Kiruna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Kiruna at $1,747. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiruna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,747 in Kiruna. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kiruna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.