Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kolding

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,974 in Kolding, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Kolding
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Kolding Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kolding

🇩🇰 Denmark

$1,974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,974 in Kolding, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kolding $1,974

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,180 in Kolding, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kolding $3,180

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,387 in Kolding, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kolding $4,387

Chiang Mai is about 53% cheaper than Kolding, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Kolding is 45% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$21.13 DKK 141

-89.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$119 DKK 796

-84.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.88 DKK 79.2

-53.28%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$6.93 DKK 46.21

-75.90%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$4.23 DKK 28.21

-84.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$3.02 DKK 20.15

-89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$8.73 DKK 58.2

-72.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.27 DKK 48.47

-49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.12 DKK 14.13

-8.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$3.70 DKK 24.69

-61.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$2.08 DKK 13.86

-36.06%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$5.23 DKK 34.90

-56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$14.18 DKK 94.5

16.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$12.87 DKK 85.8

-78.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$20.88 DKK 139

-55.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.39 DKK 22.64

-30.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$3.07 DKK 20.49

-68.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.17 DKK 27.83

-61.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$5.74 DKK 38.30

-73.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$2.15 DKK 14.34

-40.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.07 DKK 13.80

-46.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$2.23 DKK 14.87

-68.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.32 DKK 8.77

-62.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$9.39 DKK 62.6

-55.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.57 DKK 70.5

65.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.85 DKK 12.36

-12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.51 DKK 16.76

10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$3.57 DKK 23.79

-75.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$107 DKK 715

-49.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$5.73 DKK 38.19

-79.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$1.60 DKK 10.70

-66.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$91.2 DKK 608

-97.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$2.41 DKK 16.06

-39.83%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$50.6K DKK 337.7K

-58.41%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$52.2K DKK 348.1K

-48.39%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$182 DKK 1,216

-65.89%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$11.16 DKK 74.4

9.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$29.45 DKK 196

-31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$37.50 DKK 250

-0.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$19.76 DKK 132

-67.16%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$290 DKK 1,935

153.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$8,723 DKK 58.2K

69.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$58.9 DKK 393

-9.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$30.19 DKK 201

-18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$59.5 DKK 397

53.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$198 DKK 1,323

-63.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$683 DKK 4,557

-29.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$599 DKK 3,994

-48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,356 DKK 9,041

-25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,066 DKK 7,111

-40.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,996 DKK 20.0K

-80.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.87

43.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kolding: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kolding

$599 30.4% 93.8% $290

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kolding

$408 20.7% 74.3% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kolding

$156 7.9% 43.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kolding

$223 11.3% 136% $128

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kolding

$375 19% 383% $297

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kolding

$135 6.9% 120% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kolding

$77 3.9% 53.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $683 in Kolding. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kolding are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $119 in Kolding. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $408 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇰 Kolding

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

21:36 9:36 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,508

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 DKK = 0.15 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 = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kolding 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kolding

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 Kolding: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolding costs about 111% 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 $2,960 in Kolding. 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 $683 in Kolding.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $290 in Kolding. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in Kolding, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,974 in Kolding. 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 $1,974 in Kolding. 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, Kolding makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.