Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Stenungsund

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,887 in Stenungsund, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Stenungsund
Learn more

Stenungsund Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Stenungsund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,887 in Stenungsund, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Stenungsund $1,887

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,880 in Stenungsund, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Stenungsund $2,880

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,872 in Stenungsund, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Stenungsund $3,872

Chiang Mai is about 50% cheaper than Stenungsund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Stenungsund is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$14.02 SEK 140

-84.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$66.8 SEK 665

-71.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.64 SEK 86.0

-35.76%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.40 SEK 43.76

-62.05%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.47 SEK 14.64

-56.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.22 SEK 22.08

-86.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$7.03 SEK 70.0

-66.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.89 SEK 68.6

-46.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.43 SEK 14.24

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.15 SEK 31.33

-54.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$5.60 SEK 55.8

-76.25%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$5.23 SEK 52.0

-56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.62 SEK 136

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$13.38 SEK 133

-79.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.96 SEK 169

-45.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.24 SEK 32.20

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.67 SEK 26.55

-63.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.05 SEK 20.44

-21.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.62 SEK 46.00

-67.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.43 SEK 14.22

-10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.74 SEK 17.36

-36.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.26 SEK 22.49

-68.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.82 SEK 18.07

-73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$7.35 SEK 73.2

-43.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.14 SEK 81.0

115.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.00 SEK 19.94

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.21 SEK 21.98

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$2.57 SEK 25.57

-66.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$77.9 SEK 775

-30.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$13.37 SEK 133

-91.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.05 SEK 20.45

-74.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$81.3 SEK 809

-97.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.76 SEK 17.52

-17.61%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$32.7K SEK 325.2K

-35.55%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$33.8K SEK 336.6K

-20.35%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$178 SEK 1,771

-65.07%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$28.89 SEK 288

-57.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$47.61 SEK 474

-57.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$37.19 SEK 370

0.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$26.84 SEK 267

-85.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$17.15 SEK 171

-62.16%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$219 SEK 2,181

235.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$5,035 SEK 50.1K

193.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$98.0 SEK 975

-45.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$53.0 SEK 528

-53.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$95.1 SEK 946

-3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$218 SEK 2,173

-67.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$813 SEK 8,088

-40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$606 SEK 6,026

-48.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,378 SEK 13.7K

-26.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,002 SEK 9,968

-36.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,961 SEK 39.4K

-40.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,832 SEK 28.2K

-43.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,935 SEK 19.3K

-69.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.8

98.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stenungsund: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Stenungsund

$606 32.1% 96% $297

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Stenungsund

$381 20.2% 62.4% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Stenungsund

$209 11.1% 92.4% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Stenungsund

$254 13.5% 169% $160

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Stenungsund

$255 13.5% 228% $177

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Stenungsund

$112 5.9% 82.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Stenungsund

$72 3.8% 42.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $813 in Stenungsund. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Stenungsund are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $67 in Stenungsund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $381 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Stenungsund

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

14:05 2:05 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

27,842

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.05 USD

100 SEK = 9.03 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Stenungsund 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Stenungsund

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 Stenungsund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stenungsund costs about 102% 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 $2,831 in Stenungsund. 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 $482 there versus $813 in Stenungsund.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $219 in Stenungsund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Stenungsund, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,887 in Stenungsund. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,887 in Stenungsund. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Stenungsund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.