Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mölndal

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,576 in Mölndal, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Mölndal
Learn more

Mölndal Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mölndal

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,576 in Mölndal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mölndal $1,576

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,481 in Mölndal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mölndal $2,481

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,387 in Mölndal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mölndal $3,387

Chiang Mai is about 41% cheaper than Mölndal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Mölndal is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$13.05 SEK 128

-82.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$70.0 SEK 688

-72.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$11.25 SEK 110

-50.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.94 SEK 48.50

-66.19%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.83 SEK 27.83

-77.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.04 SEK 10.21

-70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.93 SEK 68.1

-65.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.01 SEK 59.0

-39.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.14 SEK 11.22

71.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.52 SEK 14.93

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.10 SEK 30.49

-57.10%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.69 SEK 36.19

-38.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.03 SEK 69.0

134.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$9.16 SEK 90.0

-69.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.87 SEK 166

-44.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.08 SEK 30.27

-23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.40 SEK 23.56

-59.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.81 SEK 27.59

-43.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.33 SEK 42.54

-65.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.63 SEK 15.97

-21.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.69 SEK 16.60

-34.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.85 SEK 18.19

-61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.20 SEK 11.74

-59.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.98 SEK 68.6

-40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$10.05 SEK 98.7

74.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.98 SEK 19.41

-18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.22 SEK 21.79

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.64 SEK 35.76

-76.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$85.6 SEK 841

-36.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$6.17 SEK 60.6

-81.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.73 SEK 16.97

-69.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$59.6 SEK 586

-95.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.74 SEK 17.11

-16.67%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$33.2K SEK 326.4K

-36.65%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$34.2K SEK 336.1K

-21.29%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$42.50 SEK 417

46.28%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.11 SEK 99.3

20.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$20.15 SEK 198

-0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.70 SEK 390

-6.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$28.47 SEK 280

-86.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$17.88 SEK 176

-63.70%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$224 SEK 2,204

228.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$4,439 SEK 43.6K

232.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$90.5 SEK 888

-41.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$33.64 SEK 330

-26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$71.7 SEK 704

27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$133 SEK 1,306

-45.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$811 SEK 7,969

-40.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$607 SEK 5,958

-49.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,359 SEK 13.3K

-26.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,002 SEK 9,838

-36.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,982 SEK 39.1K

-40.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,828 SEK 27.8K

-43.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mölndal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mölndal

$607 38.5% 96.4% $298

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mölndal

$298 18.9% 27.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mölndal

$148 9.4% 36.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mölndal

$73 4.6% 23% $22

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mölndal

$260 16.5% 235% $182

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mölndal

$115 7.3% 87.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mölndal

$75 4.8% 50.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $811 in Mölndal. 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 $70 in Mölndal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $298 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Mölndal

🕒 Local time

11:10 11:10 AM

05:10 5:10 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Mölndal 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mölndal

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 Mölndal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mölndal costs about 68% 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 $2,364 in Mölndal. 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 $811 in Mölndal.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $224 in Mölndal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Mölndal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,576 in Mölndal. 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 $1,576 in Mölndal. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 41% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.