Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Norrkoping

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,792 in Norrkoping, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Norrkoping, Sweden
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Norrkoping
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,792
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,792 in Norrkoping, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Norrkoping $1,792

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,745 in Norrkoping, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Norrkoping $2,745

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,699 in Norrkoping, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Norrkoping $3,699

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Norrkoping is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$13.85 SEK 135
-83.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$80.9 SEK 789
-76.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$10.11 SEK 98.7
-45.10%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$4.98 SEK 48.59
-66.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.53
$3.10 SEK 30.24
-79.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.30
$2.39 SEK 23.32
-87.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$7.71 SEK 75.2
-69.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$8.06 SEK 78.7
-54.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$1.83 SEK 17.81
6.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.45
$2.84 SEK 27.70
-49.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.01
$4.40 SEK 42.92
-69.77%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$4.08 SEK 39.79
-44.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$9.99 SEK 97.5
64.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$14.60 SEK 142
-80.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$18.12 SEK 177
-48.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$3.29 SEK 32.10
-28.57%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.78
$2.76 SEK 26.88
-64.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$3.60 SEK 35.16
-55.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$5.30 SEK 51.7
-71.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.10
$1.38 SEK 13.44
-7.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.17
$1.73 SEK 16.90
-36.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.81
$2.05 SEK 19.97
-65.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$1.32 SEK 12.90
-62.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$7.47 SEK 72.9
-44.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$10.18 SEK 99.3
72.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.89 SEK 18.41
-14.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$1.96 SEK 19.08
41.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.29
$3.35 SEK 32.67
-74.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$100 SEK 980
-46.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.03
$5.56 SEK 54.3
-79.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.79
$1.27 SEK 12.42
-58.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$61.5 SEK 599
-96.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.87
$1.75 SEK 17.04
-17.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.3K
$31.3K SEK 305.0K
-32.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.7K
$33.1K SEK 322.8K
-18.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,097
$99.5 SEK 971
-37.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$28.69 SEK 280
-57.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$45.28 SEK 442
-55.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$34.01 SEK 332
9.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$14.86 SEK 145
-56.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$126 SEK 1,231
483.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,800
$69.5 SEK 678
-23.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$30.47 SEK 297
-19.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,086
$94.2 SEK 919
-2.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,426
$204 SEK 1,985
-64.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$659 SEK 6,431
-26.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$595 SEK 5,804
-48.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$1,166 SEK 11.4K
-13.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$883 SEK 8,616
-28.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
$4,492 SEK 43.8K
-47.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$3,370 SEK 32.9K
-52.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Norrkoping
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$3,054 SEK 29.8K
-80.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.09
36.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Norrkoping: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Norrkoping
$595 92.6% $286
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Norrkoping
$377 60.9% $143
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Norrkoping
$179 64.7% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Norrkoping
$174 83.7% $79
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Norrkoping
$278 258% $200
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Norrkoping
$126 105% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Norrkoping
$64 26.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $659 in Norrkoping. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Norrkoping are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $81 in Norrkoping. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $377 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇸🇪 Norrkoping
🕒 Local time
04:04 4:04 AM
22:04 10:04 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
98,088
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.76 SEK (1 SEK = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.93 SEK (100 SEK = 9.15 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Norrkoping 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Norrkoping

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 Norrkoping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Norrkoping?
Norrkoping costs about 92% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Norrkoping?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,688 in Norrkoping. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Norrkoping?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $659 in Norrkoping.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Norrkoping?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $126 in Norrkoping. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Norrkoping?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Norrkoping, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Norrkoping?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,792 in Norrkoping. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Norrkoping?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,792 in Norrkoping. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Norrkoping?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Norrkoping?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Norrkoping makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?