Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kongsvinger

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,911 in Kongsvinger, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Kongsvinger
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Kongsvinger Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kongsvinger

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,911 in Kongsvinger, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kongsvinger $2,911

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,220 in Kongsvinger, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kongsvinger $4,220

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,529 in Kongsvinger, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kongsvinger $5,529

Chiang Mai is about 68% cheaper than Kongsvinger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Kongsvinger is 114% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$21.34 NOK 198

-89.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$106 NOK 986

-82.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$15.95 NOK 148

-65.20%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$6.34 NOK 58.9

-73.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$4.26 NOK 39.58

-84.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$3.13 NOK 29.10

-90.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$11.94 NOK 111

-80.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$10.41 NOK 96.7

-64.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$3.96 NOK 36.76

-50.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.70 NOK 34.39

-61.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.90 NOK 36.26

-65.90%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$5.02 NOK 46.67

-54.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.46 NOK 125

22.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$16.00 NOK 149

-82.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$31.50 NOK 293

-70.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.44 NOK 31.99

-31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.74 NOK 25.44

-64.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.59 NOK 33.36

-55.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.49 NOK 41.71

-66.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$3.13 NOK 29.08

-59.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.06 NOK 28.43

-64.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$3.08 NOK 28.62

-76.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$2.22 NOK 20.59

-77.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$16.99 NOK 158

-75.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$17.23 NOK 160

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.59 NOK 33.40

-55.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.71 NOK 43.77

-40.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$4.70 NOK 43.65

-81.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$85.2 NOK 792

-36.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$12.18 NOK 113

-90.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.12 NOK 19.65

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$63.0 NOK 586

-96.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.33 NOK 21.65

-37.77%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$53.6K NOK 497.7K

-60.69%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$49.4K NOK 458.5K

-45.41%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$279 NOK 2,589

-77.69%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$33.45 NOK 311

-63.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$54.9 NOK 510

-63.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$48.24 NOK 448

-22.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$39.91 NOK 371

-90.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$17.99 NOK 167

-63.92%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$243 NOK 2,259

202.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$11.3K NOK 105.3K

30.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$116 NOK 1,078

-54.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$64.7 NOK 601

-61.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$115 NOK 1,072

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$157 NOK 1,457

-54.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,139 NOK 10.6K

-57.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,210 NOK 11.2K

-74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,113 NOK 19.6K

-52.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,685 NOK 15.7K

-62.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$6,535 NOK 60.7K

-63.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$4,312 NOK 40.1K

-63.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Kongsvinger: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kongsvinger

$1.2K 41.6% 292% $901

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kongsvinger

$514 17.7% 119% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kongsvinger

$204 7% 87.7% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kongsvinger

$367 12.6% 289% $273

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kongsvinger

$405 13.9% 422% $327

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kongsvinger

$127 4.4% 107% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kongsvinger

$84 2.9% 67.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,139 in Kongsvinger. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $106 in Kongsvinger. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $514 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Kongsvinger

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

22:37 10:37 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

18,104

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kongsvinger 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kongsvinger

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 Kongsvinger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kongsvinger costs about 211% 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 $4,366 in Kongsvinger. 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 $1,139 in Kongsvinger.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $243 in Kongsvinger. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 119% more in Kongsvinger, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,911 in Kongsvinger. 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 $2,911 in Kongsvinger. 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 68% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.