Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kongsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,733 in Kongsberg, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Kongsberg
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Kongsberg Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kongsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,733 in Kongsberg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kongsberg $2,733

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,003 in Kongsberg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kongsberg $4,003

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,273 in Kongsberg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kongsberg $5,273

Chiang Mai is about 66% cheaper than Kongsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Kongsberg is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$21.54 NOK 200

-89.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$74.6 NOK 691

-74.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$16.41 NOK 152

-66.18%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.31 NOK 49.18

-68.55%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$4.51 NOK 41.78

-85.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$3.35 NOK 31.09

-90.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$12.01 NOK 111

-80.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$10.81 NOK 100

-66.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.60 NOK 24.09

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$3.19 NOK 29.58

-54.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$4.75 NOK 44.05

-72.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$5.14 NOK 47.68

-55.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.90 NOK 101

50.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$12.75 NOK 118

-78.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$18.75 NOK 174

-50.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.21 NOK 29.73

-26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.77 NOK 25.64

-64.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.47 NOK 32.17

-53.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$5.07 NOK 47.02

-70.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$2.63 NOK 24.38

-51.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.64 NOK 24.42

-58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$3.18 NOK 29.49

-77.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$2.53 NOK 23.48

-80.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$17.99 NOK 167

-76.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$16.42 NOK 152

6.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.64 NOK 33.76

-55.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.91 NOK 36.20

-28.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$3.17 NOK 29.37

-72.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$95.9 NOK 889

-43.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$12.11 NOK 112

-90.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$1.83 NOK 17.00

-71.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$32.51 NOK 301

-92.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$2.39 NOK 22.17

-39.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$49.5K NOK 458.4K

-57.42%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$45.5K NOK 421.5K

-40.75%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$318 NOK 2,950

-80.47%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$28.53 NOK 264

-57.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$54.4 NOK 505

-63.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$48.00 NOK 445

-22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$58.5 NOK 543

-93.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$20.59 NOK 191

-68.48%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$245 NOK 2,269

200.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$3,922 NOK 36.3K

276.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$94.0 NOK 872

-43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$55.1 NOK 511

-55.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$134 NOK 1,244

-31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$159 NOK 1,473

-54.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,075 NOK 9,965

-55.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,078 NOK 9,994

-71.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,973 NOK 18.3K

-49.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,749 NOK 16.2K

-63.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$6,377 NOK 59.1K

-62.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,352 NOK 40.3K

-63.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,667 NOK 34.0K

-83.92%

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 Kongsberg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kongsberg

$1.1K 39.5% 249% $769

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kongsberg

$437 16% 86.6% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kongsberg

$199 7.3% 83.2% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kongsberg

$401 14.7% 325% $307

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kongsberg

$398 14.6% 413% $321

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kongsberg

$130 4.8% 112% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kongsberg

$89 3.3% 77.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,075 in Kongsberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kongsberg are about 6.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $75 in Kongsberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $437 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Kongsberg

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

28,878

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.79 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.27 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kongsberg 8,180 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kongsberg

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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kongsberg costs about 192% 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 $4,100 in Kongsberg. 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 $1,075 in Kongsberg.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $245 in Kongsberg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Kongsberg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,733 in Kongsberg. 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 $2,733 in Kongsberg. 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, Kongsberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.