Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lohja

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $981 in Lohja, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. The total is higher in Lohja despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Lohja
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Lohja Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Lohja

🇫🇮 Finland

$981

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $981 in Lohja, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Lohja $981

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,121 in Lohja, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Lohja $2,121

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,260 in Lohja, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Lohja $3,260

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Lohja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Lohja are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Lohja 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$13.40 €11.91

-82.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$61.7 €54.9

-68.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$11.81 €10.50

-52.50%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.76 €4.23

-65.13%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.95 €2.62

-76.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.92 €1.71

-83.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$7.74 €6.88

-68.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$6.80 €6.05

-45.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.21 €1.07

61.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.30 €2.05

-38.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.49 €2.21

-47.39%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.66 €2.37

-18.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.79 €7.82

89.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$13.58 €12.08

-79.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$16.53 €14.70

-44.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.18 €1.94

9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.11 €1.88

-51.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.10 €0.98

48.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.97 €3.54

-62.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.28 €1.14

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.91 €1.70

-41.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$2.78 €2.47

-74.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$2.08 €1.85

-74.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$12.80 €11.39

-66.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$16.22 €14.43

10.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$3.19 €2.84

-50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$3.25 €2.89

-12.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$4.39 €3.91

-72.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.30 €1.16

-56.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$67.5 €60.0

-96.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.93 €1.72

-25.39%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$37.0K €33.0K

-44.04%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$37.3K €33.2K

-28.15%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$77.1 €68.6

-19.20%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$24.87 €22.12

-51.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$22.54 €20.05

-11.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$33.22 €29.55

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$16.29 €14.49

-76.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$15.85 €14.10

-58.99%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$331 €295

139.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$95.5 €84.9

-43.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$33.60 €29.89

-26.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$79.2 €70.4

14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$155 €138

-54.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,123 €999

-19.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$961 €855

-42.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,338 €1,190

44.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,133 €1,008

27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$3,304 €2,939

-82.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.51

58.69%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lohja: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Lohja

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Lohja

$346 35.3% 46.9% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Lohja

$164 16.7% 51.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Lohja

$125 12.7% 32% $30

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Lohja

$271 27.7% 245% $193

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Lohja

$11 * 1.1% 82.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Lohja

$65 6.6% 29.7% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 459% higher in Lohja, 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 $62.0 in Lohja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $346 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇫🇮 Lohja

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

21:36 9:36 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

45,654

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Lohja 7,370 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lohja

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 Lohja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lohja costs about 6% 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 $1,472 in Lohja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $62.0 in Lohja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Lohja, 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 Lohja at $981. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lohja it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $981 in Lohja. 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, Lohja makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.