Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lulea

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,820 in Lulea, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
Learn more

Lulea Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,820 in Lulea, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Lulea $1,820

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,946 in Lulea, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Lulea $2,946

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,073 in Lulea, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Lulea $4,073

Chiang Mai is about 48% cheaper than Lulea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Lulea is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.71 SEK 116

-80.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$96.1 SEK 952

-80.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$11.04 SEK 109

-49.37%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.38 SEK 43.41

-60.73%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.45 SEK 24.24

-73.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.94 SEK 19.20

-82.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$8.56 SEK 84.8

-72.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$9.41 SEK 93.2

-58.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.82 SEK 17.99

12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$3.42 SEK 33.84

-59.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$4.75 SEK 47.11

-73.05%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$4.67 SEK 46.31

-51.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$12.48 SEK 124

35.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$13.11 SEK 130

-79.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$26.07 SEK 258

-64.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.44 SEK 24.16

-1.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.66 SEK 26.36

-62.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.36 SEK 23.36

-31.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$4.16 SEK 41.21

-63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.09 SEK 20.69

-38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.50 SEK 14.82

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$3.30 SEK 32.69

-78.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.27 SEK 12.59

-59.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$7.06 SEK 70.0

-38.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$12.04 SEK 119

47.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.78 SEK 17.63

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.77 SEK 17.53

61.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$3.23 SEK 31.99

-73.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$56.5 SEK 560

-4.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$8.73 SEK 86.5

-86.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.05 SEK 20.33

-72.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$70.8 SEK 702

-96.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.74 SEK 17.24

-16.67%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$31.9K SEK 316.5K

-35.90%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$33.3K SEK 329.9K

-20.37%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$161 SEK 1,595

-61.28%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$31.36 SEK 311

-60.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$26.51 SEK 263

-24.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$45.47 SEK 450

-16.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$35.02 SEK 347

-89.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$12.85 SEK 127

-47.78%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$150 SEK 1,490

430.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,570 SEK 55.2K

166.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$120 SEK 1,189

-55.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$32.64 SEK 323

-23.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$120 SEK 1,188

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$161 SEK 1,593

-54.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$783 SEK 7,763

-40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$584 SEK 5,786

-47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,449 SEK 14.4K

-36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,104 SEK 10.9K

-49.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,072 SEK 30.4K

-37.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$2,194 SEK 21.7K

-34.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,498 SEK 24.8K

-76.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.85

44.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lulea: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Lulea

$584 32.1% 91.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Lulea

$404 22.2% 69.7% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Lulea

$195 10.7% 78.1% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Lulea

$219 12% 131% $124

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Lulea

$259 14.2% 227% $180

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Lulea

$88 4.9% 44.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Lulea

$71 3.9% 38.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $783 in Lulea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 320% higher in Lulea, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $96.0 in Lulea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $404 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Lulea

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

16:25 4:25 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

73,864

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Lulea 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lulea

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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea costs about 94% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,730 in Lulea. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $150 in Lulea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% more in Lulea, 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 $938, than in Lulea at $1,820. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lulea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,820 in Lulea. 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, Lulea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.