Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ostersund

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,729 in Ostersund, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Ostersund
Learn more

Ostersund Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Ostersund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,729 in Ostersund, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Ostersund $1,729

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,687 in Ostersund, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Ostersund $2,687

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,644 in Ostersund, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Ostersund $3,644

Chiang Mai is about 46% cheaper than Ostersund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Ostersund is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$13.35 SEK 132

-83.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$75.1 SEK 744

-74.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$10.07 SEK 99.8

-44.49%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.53 SEK 44.86

-62.03%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.56 SEK 25.38

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.16 SEK 21.42

-84.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-66.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$6.97 SEK 69.0

-44.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.43 SEK 14.16

43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.94 SEK 29.16

-52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$4.58 SEK 45.43

-72.05%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.22 SEK 31.91

-30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$13.29 SEK 132

27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$11.28 SEK 112

-75.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$14.94 SEK 148

-37.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$4.11 SEK 40.73

-41.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.77 SEK 27.49

-63.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.53 SEK 34.95

-54.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.87 SEK 38.37

-60.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.61 SEK 15.96

-20.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.55 SEK 15.38

-28.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$2.20 SEK 21.82

-67.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$1.40 SEK 13.87

-62.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$7.85 SEK 77.8

-44.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.11 SEK 100

75.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.96 SEK 19.38

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.21 SEK 21.91

28.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$3.33 SEK 32.96

-74.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$76.5 SEK 758

-29.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$5.85 SEK 57.9

-80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-66.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$58.8 SEK 583

-95.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.81 SEK 17.94

-19.89%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$33.3K SEK 329.5K

-38.44%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.1K SEK 317.8K

-17.35%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$104 SEK 1,031

-40.10%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$23.74 SEK 235

-48.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$38.74 SEK 384

-48.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$37.10 SEK 368

2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$26.47 SEK 262

-85.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$14.80 SEK 147

-54.66%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$124 SEK 1,231

541.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,033 SEK 49.9K

194.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$91.7 SEK 909

-41.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$40.11 SEK 397

-37.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$91.3 SEK 905

0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$138 SEK 1,366

-46.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$803 SEK 7,957

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$615 SEK 6,094

-50.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,324 SEK 13.1K

-30.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,013 SEK 10.0K

-45.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,940 SEK 39.0K

-51.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$2,776 SEK 27.5K

-48.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.45

61.45%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Ostersund

$615 35.6% 102% $310

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Ostersund

$355 20.5% 49% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Ostersund

$162 9.4% 48.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Ostersund

$167 9.6% 76.1% $72

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Ostersund

$259 15% 228% $180

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Ostersund

$104 6% 69.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Ostersund

$67 3.9% 29.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $803 in Ostersund. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $75.0 in Ostersund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $355 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Ostersund

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

02:16 2:16 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,000

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ostersund 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ostersund

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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostersund costs about 84% 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 $2,593 in Ostersund. 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 $124 in Ostersund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Ostersund, 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 Ostersund at $1,729. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ostersund it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,729 in Ostersund. 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, Ostersund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.