Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Trollhattan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,582 in Trollhattan, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Trollhattan
Learn more

Trollhattan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Trollhattan

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,582 in Trollhattan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Trollhattan $1,582

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,439 in Trollhattan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Trollhattan $2,439

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,295 in Trollhattan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Trollhattan $3,295

Chiang Mai is about 41% cheaper than Trollhattan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Trollhattan is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$12.18 SEK 120

-82.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$82.3 SEK 807

-77.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$11.20 SEK 110

-50.00%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.51 SEK 24.64

-33.86%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$1.36 SEK 13.33

-52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$1.34 SEK 13.15

-77.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$7.54 SEK 73.9

-69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$7.59 SEK 74.5

-51.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.36 SEK 13.35

48.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$2.18 SEK 21.42

-35.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.73 SEK 26.78

-49.08%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.77 SEK 36.99

-37.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$9.77 SEK 95.9

69.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$9.48 SEK 93.0

-71.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$15.04 SEK 148

-40.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.36 SEK 13.37

76.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$2.49 SEK 24.45

-58.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.81 SEK 27.52

-40.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$2.36 SEK 23.18

-33.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.58 SEK 15.46

-21.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.20 SEK 11.75

-9.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.99 SEK 19.52

-61.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$1.10 SEK 10.84

-53.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$7.88 SEK 77.4

-47.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$7.96 SEK 78.1

125.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.41 SEK 13.79

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$1.99 SEK 19.48

41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$3.67 SEK 35.97

-74.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$82.1 SEK 805

-35.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$3.67 SEK 36.01

-67.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.85 SEK 18.18

-90.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$54.3 SEK 533

-96.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.83 SEK 17.92

-19.67%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$33.3K SEK 326.8K

-36.92%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$33.5K SEK 328.3K

-20.75%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$183 SEK 1,792

-65.76%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$22.43 SEK 220

-48.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$36.41 SEK 357

-44.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$34.22 SEK 336

10.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$33.71 SEK 331

-89.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$14.71 SEK 144

-55.74%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$153 SEK 1,497

376.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$5,021 SEK 49.3K

230.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$101 SEK 991

-46.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$40.50 SEK 397

-38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$89.3 SEK 876

1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$92.0 SEK 903

-21.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$644 SEK 6,320

-25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$513 SEK 5,037

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$1,047 SEK 10.3K

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$807 SEK 7,914

-18.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$2,936 SEK 28.8K

-17.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$2,556 SEK 25.1K

-37.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$3,351 SEK 32.9K

-82.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.53

57.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Trollhattan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Trollhattan

$513 32.5% 65.6% $203

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Trollhattan

$283 17.9% 19.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Trollhattan

$145 9.2% 34.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Trollhattan

$242 15.3% 156% $147

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Trollhattan

$225 14.2% 194% $148

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Trollhattan

$110 6.9% 86.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Trollhattan

$64 4% 25% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $644 in Trollhattan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Trollhattan are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $82 in Trollhattan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $283 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Trollhattan

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,498

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.08 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11.02 SEK (100 SEK = 9.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Trollhattan 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Trollhattan

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 Trollhattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trollhattan costs about 69% 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 $2,372 in Trollhattan. 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 $644 in Trollhattan.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $153 in Trollhattan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Trollhattan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,582 in Trollhattan. 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 $1,582 in Trollhattan. 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, Trollhattan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.