Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Njardvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,163 in Njardvik, rent and utilities included – about $26,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Njardvik
Learn more

Njardvik Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Njardvik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,163 in Njardvik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Njardvik $3,163

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,909 in Njardvik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Njardvik $4,909

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,655 in Njardvik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Njardvik $6,655

Chiang Mai is about 70% cheaper than Njardvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Njardvik is 134% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$24.17 ISK 2,931

-90.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$99.6 ISK 12.1K

-80.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$16.52 ISK 2,004

-66.16%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$6.53 ISK 792

-73.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.66 ISK 201

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.44 ISK 296

-86.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$10.48 ISK 1,271

-77.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$12.48 ISK 1,514

-68.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.08 ISK 252

-1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$4.27 ISK 518

-67.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.70 ISK 449

-65.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$6.97 ISK 846

-67.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$22.09 ISK 2,679

-23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$24.52 ISK 2,974

-88.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$42.22 ISK 5,120

-77.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.40 ISK 412

-29.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.85 ISK 346

-64.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.31 ISK 402

-51.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$6.37 ISK 773

-76.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$3.84 ISK 465

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.72 ISK 208

-35.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$3.68 ISK 446

-80.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.83 ISK 222

-71.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$13.68 ISK 1,659

-68.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$24.04 ISK 2,916

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.59 ISK 435

-54.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.46 ISK 420

-17.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$6.78 ISK 823

-82.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.86 ISK 346

-80.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$80.3 ISK 9,741

-97.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.01 ISK 244

-27.86%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-59.69%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-49.67%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$96.5 ISK 11.7K

-35.41%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$32.65 ISK 3,960

-62.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$86.1 ISK 10.4K

-76.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$82.7 ISK 10.0K

-54.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$19.52 ISK 2,368

-65.63%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$1,187 ISK 144.0K

-32.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-42.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$124 ISK 15.0K

-57.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$65.3 ISK 7,916

-61.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$183 ISK 22.2K

-49.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$249 ISK 30.2K

-70.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,485 ISK 180.1K

-79.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$2,716 ISK 329.4K

-79.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$4,052 ISK 491.4K

-85.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.81

-36.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Njardvik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Njardvik

$1.5K 47% 387% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Njardvik

$625 19.8% 163% $387

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Njardvik

$280 8.8% 155% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Njardvik

$215 6.8% 128% $121

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Njardvik

$415 13.1% 425% $336

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Njardvik

$21 * 0.7% 65.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Njardvik

$122 3.9% 137% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 581% higher in Njardvik, 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 $100 in Njardvik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $625 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇸 Njardvik

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

01:03 1:03 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

6,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Njardvik 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Njardvik

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 Njardvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Njardvik costs about 237% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $4,744 in Njardvik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $100 in Njardvik. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 163% more in Njardvik, 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 Njardvik at $3,163. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Njardvik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,163 in Njardvik. 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, Njardvik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.