Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sarpsborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,872 in Sarpsborg, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
138

Cost of Living Index in Sarpsborg
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Sarpsborg Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Sarpsborg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,872 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Sarpsborg $2,872

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,169 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Sarpsborg $4,169

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,466 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Sarpsborg $5,466

Chiang Mai is about 67% cheaper than Sarpsborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Sarpsborg is 112% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$40.81 NOK 380

-94.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$99.3 NOK 923

-81.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$19.17 NOK 178

-70.79%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$5.74 NOK 53.4

-71.08%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$2.88 NOK 26.81

-77.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$2.67 NOK 24.82

-88.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$6.60 NOK 61.4

-64.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$8.19 NOK 76.2

-55.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$2.32 NOK 21.54

-12.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$3.49 NOK 32.50

-59.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$4.01 NOK 37.30

-65.34%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$12.54 NOK 117

31.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$17.04 NOK 158

-84.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$34.26 NOK 319

-73.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$3.85 NOK 35.82

-37.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$2.67 NOK 24.86

-61.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$3.49 NOK 32.51

-52.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$6.04 NOK 56.2

-74.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$2.84 NOK 26.45

-56.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$3.18 NOK 29.56

-65.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$2.65 NOK 24.67

-71.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$2.59 NOK 24.05

-80.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$15.56 NOK 145

-73.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$13.73 NOK 128

30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$3.34 NOK 31.04

-51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$4.71 NOK 43.79

-40.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$2.62 NOK 24.41

-64.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$87.2 NOK 811

-39.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$12.01 NOK 112

-90.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.97 NOK 18.30

-91.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$63.8 NOK 593

-97.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$2.27 NOK 21.12

-35.24%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$55.3K NOK 514.6K

-62.02%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$47.2K NOK 438.7K

-43.78%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$238 NOK 2,212

-73.70%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$36.62 NOK 341

-68.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$47.03 NOK 437

-56.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$50.1 NOK 466

-24.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$38.46 NOK 358

-90.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$19.49 NOK 181

-66.60%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$239 NOK 2,222

204.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$11.6K NOK 108.0K

42.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$111 NOK 1,036

-51.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$66.9 NOK 622

-62.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$125 NOK 1,160

-27.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$180 NOK 1,674

-60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,224 NOK 11.4K

-60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,093 NOK 10.2K

-71.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$1,606 NOK 14.9K

-34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$1,399 NOK 13.0K

-52.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$6,415 NOK 59.7K

-62.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$4,241 NOK 39.4K

-62.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,714 NOK 25.2K

-78.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.18

7.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Sarpsborg

$1.1K 38.1% 253% $783

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Sarpsborg

$508 17.7% 115% $271

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Sarpsborg

$217 7.6% 101% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sarpsborg

$321 11.2% 240% $227

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Sarpsborg

$524 18.3% 585% $448

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sarpsborg

$120 4.2% 104% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Sarpsborg

$89 3.1% 74.9% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,224 in Sarpsborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sarpsborg are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $99 in Sarpsborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $508 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Sarpsborg

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

08:18 8:18 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

59,906

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.75 USD

100 NOK = 9.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.3 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.44 NOK (100 NOK = 9.58 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sarpsborg 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sarpsborg

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 Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg costs about 207% 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 $4,308 in Sarpsborg. 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 $481 there versus $1,224 in Sarpsborg.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $239 in Sarpsborg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 114% more in Sarpsborg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,872 in Sarpsborg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,872 in Sarpsborg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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