Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ljungby

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $960 a month against $1,605 in Ljungby, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Ljungby
Learn more

Ljungby Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$960

/mo nomad

Ljungby

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $960 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,605 in Ljungby, rent included.

Chiang Mai $960
Ljungby $1,605

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,553 in Ljungby, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,499
Ljungby $2,553

A family of three spends $2,037 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,501 in Ljungby, rent included.

Chiang Mai $2,037
Ljungby $3,501

Chiang Mai is about 40% cheaper than Ljungby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 28% below the global median, while Ljungby is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.12 ฿70.7

$12.67 SEK 124

-83.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.74 ฿626

$89.4 SEK 876

-79.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 ฿180

$12.31 SEK 121

-56.21%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿57.9

$4.07 SEK 39.84

-57.25%

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

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.97 SEK 29.14

-76.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.05

$2.38 SEK 23.33

-86.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ฿79.6

$6.19 SEK 60.6

-61.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.73 SEK 75.8

-50.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ฿66.5

$1.64 SEK 16.12

21.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.87 SEK 28.10

-50.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.24

$3.27 SEK 32.03

-58.41%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿77.1

$3.92 SEK 38.38

-41.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.26 SEK 90.8

79.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ฿93.6

$9.48 SEK 92.9

-70.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ฿313

$14.10 SEK 138

-33.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ฿82.9

$2.79 SEK 27.33

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.23

$2.57 SEK 25.18

-58.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$2.95 SEK 28.91

-42.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$4.24 SEK 41.52

-61.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.17

$1.77 SEK 17.36

-25.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿36.96

$1.56 SEK 15.32

-28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ฿24.35

$2.07 SEK 20.26

-64.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.50

$1.27 SEK 12.44

-56.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿146

$8.07 SEK 79.1

-45.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿588

$6.09 SEK 59.7

189.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.16 SEK 21.20

-26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.1

$1.83 SEK 17.89

52.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.71

$2.99 SEK 29.27

-71.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ฿1,816

$82.8 SEK 811

-34.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.71

$6.37 SEK 62.4

-80.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ฿7.26

$1.76 SEK 17.26

-87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 ฿58.5

$60.3 SEK 591

-97.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.27

$1.78 SEK 17.43

-18.54%

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

$21.0K ฿701.0K

$33.5K SEK 327.9K

-37.24%

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

$26.7K ฿891.7K

$34.2K SEK 335.3K

-21.94%

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

$63.5 ฿2,119

$50.7 SEK 496

25.29%

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

$11.87 ฿396

$20.02 SEK 196

-40.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 ฿687

$30.45 SEK 298

-32.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.33 ฿1,446

$38.45 SEK 377

12.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ฿156

$22.51 SEK 221

-79.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿221

$17.44 SEK 171

-62.04%

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

$743 ฿24.8K

$221 SEK 2,170

235.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿553.1K

$4,786 SEK 46.9K

246.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 ฿1,789

$80.8 SEK 792

-33.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ฿842

$34.14 SEK 335

-26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 ฿3,109

$90.9 SEK 891

2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ฿2,407

$102 SEK 996

-29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 ฿16.3K

$816 SEK 7,997

-40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.7K

$615 SEK 6,030

-47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 ฿34.6K

$1,390 SEK 13.6K

-25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ฿22.3K

$1,003 SEK 9,827

-33.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 ฿80.4K

$3,631 SEK 35.6K

-33.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,647 ฿55.0K

$3,295 SEK 32.3K

-50.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.7K

$2,362 SEK 23.1K

-75.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.06

82.03%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 8, 2026

Last update for Ljungby: November 9, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$320 33.4%

Ljungby

$615 38.3% 92.1% $295

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$239 24.9%

Ljungby

$312 19.5% 30.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.5%

Ljungby

$138 8.6% 26% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$96 10%

Ljungby

$101 6.3% 5.4% $5.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.1%

Ljungby

$255 15.9% 228% $177

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$60 6.3%

Ljungby

$110 6.8% 82.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$57 5.9%

Ljungby

$73 4.6% 29.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $488 in Chiang Mai versus $816 in Ljungby. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ljungby are about 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 $89 in Ljungby. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $312 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Ljungby

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

19:36 7:36 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

28,404

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 SEK = 10.21 USD

100 SEK = 9.09 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.8 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11 SEK (100 SEK = 9.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ljungby 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ljungby

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 Ljungby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ljungby costs about 67% 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 $1,439 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,408 in Ljungby. 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 $488 there versus $816 in Ljungby.

Kindergarten costs $743 per month in Chiang Mai and $221 in Ljungby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Ljungby, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $960 in Chiang Mai and $1,605 in Ljungby. 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 $960 in Chiang Mai to $1,605 in Ljungby. 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, Ljungby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.