Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sundsvall

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,696 in Sundsvall, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Sundsvall
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Sundsvall Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Sundsvall

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,696

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,696 in Sundsvall, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Sundsvall $1,696

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,576 in Sundsvall, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Sundsvall $2,576

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,455 in Sundsvall, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Sundsvall $3,455

Chiang Mai is about 45% cheaper than Sundsvall, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Sundsvall is 26% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$14.86 SEK 147

-84.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$79.8 SEK 790

-75.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$10.94 SEK 108

-48.90%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.72 SEK 46.78

-63.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.44 SEK 24.18

-73.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.84 SEK 18.22

-82.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$8.43 SEK 83.5

-72.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$7.67 SEK 76.0

-49.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.45 SEK 14.37

41.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$2.94 SEK 29.12

-52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.56 SEK 35.28

-64.04%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.25 SEK 32.23

-30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$9.42 SEK 93.4

79.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$9.62 SEK 95.4

-71.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$17.05 SEK 169

-45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.73 SEK 27.05

-12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.25 SEK 22.25

-55.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.39 SEK 23.69

-32.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.86 SEK 38.29

-60.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.43 SEK 14.17

-10.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.34 SEK 13.28

-17.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.80 SEK 17.85

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.92 SEK 9.09

-43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$7.25 SEK 71.8

-40.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.76 SEK 86.8

102.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.66 SEK 16.43

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.30 SEK 12.91

119.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$3.30 SEK 32.74

-74.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$85.1 SEK 843

-36.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$5.82 SEK 57.7

-79.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$6.09 SEK 60.4

-90.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.75 SEK 17.32

-17.14%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$30.7K SEK 304.4K

-33.35%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$30.1K SEK 298.6K

-12.02%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$101 SEK 1,002

-38.36%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$28.07 SEK 278

-56.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$36.21 SEK 359

-44.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$40.52 SEK 401

-6.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$15.65 SEK 155

-75.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$13.93 SEK 138

-51.83%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$134 SEK 1,332

492.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$92.4 SEK 916

-42.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$19.51 SEK 193

28.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$66.2 SEK 656

38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$121 SEK 1,203

-39.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$662 SEK 6,564

-29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$602 SEK 5,962

-49.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,171 SEK 11.6K

-21.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$858 SEK 8,498

-35.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,349 SEK 23.3K

-18.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,660 SEK 16.4K

-13.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$3,017 SEK 29.9K

-80.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.88

43.56%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Sundsvall

$602 35.5% 97.5% $297

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Sundsvall

$308 18.2% 29.5% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Sundsvall

$135 8% 23.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Sundsvall

$165 9.8% 74.9% $71

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Sundsvall

$283 16.7% 258% $204

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sundsvall

$135 7.9% 120% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Sundsvall

$68 4% 33.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $662 in Sundsvall. 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 407% higher in Sundsvall, 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 $80.0 in Sundsvall. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $308 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Sundsvall

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

10:41 10:41 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

57,606

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sundsvall 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sundsvall

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 Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sundsvall costs about 81% 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 $2,544 in Sundsvall. 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 $134 in Sundsvall. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Sundsvall, 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 Sundsvall at $1,696. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sundsvall it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,696 in Sundsvall. 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, Sundsvall makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.