Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Skien

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,336 in Skien, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,336 in Skien, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Skien $2,336

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,267 in Skien, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Skien $3,267

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,197 in Skien, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Skien $4,197

Chiang Mai is about 60% cheaper than Skien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Skien is 73% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$21.21 NOK 200

-89.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$103 NOK 971

-81.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$15.47 NOK 146

-63.87%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$5.11 NOK 48.11

-66.34%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$4.36 NOK 41.01

-85.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.97 NOK 27.96

-88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$11.89 NOK 112

-80.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$12.33 NOK 116

-68.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.11 NOK 19.84

-2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$3.92 NOK 36.90

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$4.57 NOK 42.98

-71.99%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$5.66 NOK 53.3

-60.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$13.16 NOK 124

28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$15.17 NOK 143

-81.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$21.79 NOK 205

-57.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.35 NOK 31.49

-28.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.70 NOK 25.42

-62.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.49 NOK 32.86

-53.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$5.95 NOK 56.0

-74.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.24 NOK 21.04

-42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.78 NOK 26.12

-60.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$3.04 NOK 28.63

-76.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$2.48 NOK 23.33

-79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$19.02 NOK 179

-77.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$15.76 NOK 148

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.35 NOK 31.58

-51.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$4.33 NOK 40.76

-34.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$3.26 NOK 30.64

-73.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$47.91 NOK 451

12.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$11.13 NOK 105

-89.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.81 NOK 17.02

-68.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$70.8 NOK 667

-96.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.27 NOK 21.39

-36.12%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

-56.91%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

-38.85%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$93.9 NOK 884

-33.59%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$33.89 NOK 319

-63.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$53.6 NOK 504

-62.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$43.10 NOK 406

-12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$15.29 NOK 144

-56.12%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$239 NOK 2,247

233.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

-5.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$63.7 NOK 600

-16.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$60.4 NOK 568

-58.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$87.9 NOK 827

4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$153 NOK 1,442

-52.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$1,042 NOK 9,811

-55.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$975 NOK 9,183

-68.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,035 NOK 9,746

-11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$939 NOK 8,841

-41.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

-43.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

-54.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

-85.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.37

27.46%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Skien

$975 41.8% 220% $671

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Skien

$470 20.1% 97.3% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Skien

$164 7% 50% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Skien

$181 7.8% 91.7% $87

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Skien

$391 16.7% 395% $312

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Skien

$81 3.5% 32.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Skien

$74 3.2% 43.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,042 in Skien. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 612% higher in Skien, 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 $103 in Skien. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $470 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Skien

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

56,769

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Skien 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Skien

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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skien costs about 149% 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 $3,504 in Skien. 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 $239 in Skien. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Skien, 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 Skien at $2,336. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skien it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,336 in Skien. 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, Skien makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.