Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,092 in Malmo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Malmo $2,092

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,149 in Malmo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Malmo $3,149

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,206 in Malmo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Malmo $4,206

Chiang Mai is about 55% cheaper than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Malmo is 54% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$15.17 SEK 151

-85.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$76.1 SEK 755

-75.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$12.18 SEK 121

-54.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.94 SEK 49.02

-66.19%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$3.50 SEK 34.77

-81.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.70 SEK 26.83

-88.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.69 SEK 86.3

-72.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$9.11 SEK 90.5

-59.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.67 SEK 16.55

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.84 SEK 28.25

-49.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.44 SEK 34.16

-61.34%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.12 SEK 40.90

-44.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.17 SEK 131

24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$11.85 SEK 118

-76.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$21.25 SEK 211

-56.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.97 SEK 29.46

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.63 SEK 26.07

-63.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.94 SEK 29.20

-45.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.26 SEK 42.28

-64.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.63 SEK 16.16

-21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.55 SEK 15.44

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.51 SEK 24.95

-71.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.18 SEK 11.69

-58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$8.17 SEK 81.2

-49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.38 SEK 113

53.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.05 SEK 20.35

-21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.37 SEK 23.57

17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$3.22 SEK 32.03

-72.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$63.9 SEK 635

-15.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$6.05 SEK 60.1

-80.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.48 SEK 24.66

-78.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$49.44 SEK 491

-95.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.79 SEK 17.77

-18.99%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$32.6K SEK 324.2K

-35.48%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$33.3K SEK 330.4K

-19.02%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$144 SEK 1,429

-56.78%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$25.21 SEK 250

-51.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$40.19 SEK 399

-49.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$39.31 SEK 390

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$29.48 SEK 293

-87.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$17.12 SEK 170

-62.09%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$168 SEK 1,671

337.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$3,352 SEK 33.3K

340.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$102 SEK 1,013

-47.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$45.62 SEK 453

-45.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$111 SEK 1,099

-17.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$156 SEK 1,551

-53.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,100 SEK 10.9K

-56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$852 SEK 8,464

-63.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,765 SEK 17.5K

-43.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,343 SEK 13.3K

-52.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$4,098 SEK 40.7K

-42.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$3,158 SEK 31.4K

-49.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,979 SEK 29.6K

-80.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.05

82.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Malmo

$852 40.8% 176% $543

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Malmo

$371 17.8% 58.5% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Malmo

$187 8.9% 71.7% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Malmo

$209 10% 122% $115

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Malmo

$304 14.5% 291% $226

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Malmo

$95 4.6% 55.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Malmo

$74 3.5% 46.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,100 in Malmo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Malmo are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $76 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $371 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

316,588

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Malmo 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Malmo

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 Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 124% 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 $3,138 in Malmo. 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 $1,100 in Malmo.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $168 in Malmo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Malmo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,092 in Malmo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $2,092 in Malmo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.