Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ulsteinvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,608 in Ulsteinvik, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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 Ulsteinvik
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Ulsteinvik Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Ulsteinvik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,608 in Ulsteinvik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Ulsteinvik $2,608

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,954 in Ulsteinvik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Ulsteinvik $3,954

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,301 in Ulsteinvik, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Ulsteinvik $5,301

Chiang Mai is about 64% cheaper than Ulsteinvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Ulsteinvik is 93% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$20.24 NOK 191

-88.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$106 NOK 996

-81.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$13.39 NOK 126

-58.25%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.68 NOK 44.06

-63.25%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$4.17 NOK 39.26

-84.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$2.84 NOK 26.77

-88.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$13.40 NOK 126

-82.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$9.98 NOK 93.9

-60.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.50 NOK 23.54

-18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$3.59 NOK 33.75

-61.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$3.81 NOK 35.86

-66.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$4.92 NOK 46.35

-54.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$13.40 NOK 126

26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$15.42 NOK 145

-82.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$31.06 NOK 292

-69.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.29 NOK 30.93

-27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.70 NOK 25.44

-62.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$3.44 NOK 32.39

-53.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$4.77 NOK 44.87

-68.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.52 NOK 23.72

-49.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.93 NOK 27.55

-62.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$2.90 NOK 27.27

-75.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$2.55 NOK 23.97

-79.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$17.56 NOK 165

-75.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$16.52 NOK 156

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.81 NOK 35.82

-57.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.90 NOK 36.72

-26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$4.86 NOK 45.79

-82.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$85.7 NOK 806

-37.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$13.46 NOK 127

-91.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.73 NOK 16.25

-67.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$69.0 NOK 649

-96.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$2.13 NOK 20.01

-31.92%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$41.7K NOK 393.0K

-50.95%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$42.9K NOK 404.3K

-38.27%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$266 NOK 2,505

-76.58%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$29.25 NOK 275

-58.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$53.4 NOK 503

-62.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$48.70 NOK 458

-22.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$34.49 NOK 325

-89.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$17.01 NOK 160

-60.55%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$214 NOK 2,017

271.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$14.6K NOK 137.2K

1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$98.4 NOK 927

-45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$49.95 NOK 470

-49.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$121 NOK 1,136

-24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$135 NOK 1,271

-45.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$1,096 NOK 10.3K

-57.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$1,002 NOK 9,434

-69.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,785 NOK 16.8K

-48.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,659 NOK 15.6K

-66.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$7,015 NOK 66.0K

-72.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$4,138 NOK 39.0K

-65.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Ulsteinvik: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Ulsteinvik

$1K 38.4% 229% $698

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Ulsteinvik

$492 18.9% 107% $254

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Ulsteinvik

$182 7% 66% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Ulsteinvik

$349 13.4% 269% $254

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Ulsteinvik

$373 14.3% 372% $294

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Ulsteinvik

$127 4.9% 108% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Ulsteinvik

$83 3.2% 61.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $1,096 in Ulsteinvik. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $106 in Ulsteinvik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $492 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Ulsteinvik

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,600

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ulsteinvik 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ulsteinvik

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 Ulsteinvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulsteinvik costs about 178% 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 $3,912 in Ulsteinvik. 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 $214 in Ulsteinvik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 107% more in Ulsteinvik, 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 Ulsteinvik at $2,608. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulsteinvik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,608 in Ulsteinvik. 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, Ulsteinvik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.