Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Stokmarknes

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,652 in Stokmarknes, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Stokmarknes
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Stokmarknes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Stokmarknes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,652 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Stokmarknes $2,652

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,015 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Stokmarknes $4,015

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,378 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Stokmarknes $5,378

Chiang Mai is about 65% cheaper than Stokmarknes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Stokmarknes is 96% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$20.63 NOK 194

-88.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$103 NOK 968

-80.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$15.80 NOK 149

-64.49%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$5.38 NOK 50.6

-69.14%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$3.98 NOK 37.43

-82.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$3.18 NOK 29.93

-90.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$11.81 NOK 111

-79.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$10.36 NOK 97.5

-64.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.47 NOK 23.27

-21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$3.55 NOK 33.41

-60.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$3.87 NOK 36.44

-66.15%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.76 NOK 44.83

-54.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$13.04 NOK 123

27.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$15.20 NOK 143

-81.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$31.03 NOK 292

-70.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.27 NOK 30.75

-26.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.58 NOK 24.26

-60.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.51 NOK 33.04

-53.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$4.77 NOK 44.90

-68.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$2.59 NOK 24.40

-50.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$2.88 NOK 27.13

-61.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$3.02 NOK 28.44

-76.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$2.33 NOK 21.90

-77.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$17.47 NOK 164

-75.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$16.55 NOK 156

8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$3.49 NOK 32.83

-54.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$4.20 NOK 39.57

-32.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$4.62 NOK 43.50

-81.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$86.0 NOK 810

-38.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$12.01 NOK 113

-89.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.86 NOK 17.47

-69.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$69.1 NOK 650

-96.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$2.33 NOK 21.93

-38.20%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$48.7K NOK 458.2K

-57.41%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$42.8K NOK 402.7K

-37.35%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$271 NOK 2,554

-77.02%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$33.47 NOK 315

-63.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$54.3 NOK 511

-63.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$49.46 NOK 466

-25.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$36.68 NOK 345

-89.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$17.21 NOK 162

-62.23%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$234 NOK 2,204

238.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$12.9K NOK 121.9K

14.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$99.7 NOK 938

-46.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$56.7 NOK 534

-56.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$126 NOK 1,187

-27.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$155 NOK 1,461

-54.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$1,206 NOK 11.4K

-62.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$1,016 NOK 9,563

-70.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,973 NOK 18.6K

-53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

-67.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$6,221 NOK 58.6K

-68.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$4,109 NOK 38.7K

-64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.94

12.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Stokmarknes: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Stokmarknes

$1K 38.3% 241% $718

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Stokmarknes

$485 18.3% 106% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Stokmarknes

$197 7.4% 82.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Stokmarknes

$359 13.5% 281% $265

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Stokmarknes

$385 14.5% 390% $307

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Stokmarknes

$126 4.7% 107% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Stokmarknes

$84 3.2% 67.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $1,206 in Stokmarknes. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $103 in Stokmarknes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $485 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Stokmarknes

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

13:43 1:43 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,300

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Stokmarknes 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Stokmarknes

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 Stokmarknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stokmarknes costs about 187% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,978 in Stokmarknes. 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 $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $234 in Stokmarknes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Stokmarknes, 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 $925, than in Stokmarknes at $2,652. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stokmarknes it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $2,652 in Stokmarknes. 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, Stokmarknes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.