Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Vaxjo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,665 in Vaxjo, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Vaxjo
Learn more

Vaxjo Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Vaxjo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,665 in Vaxjo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Vaxjo $1,665

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,500 in Vaxjo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Vaxjo $2,500

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,335 in Vaxjo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Vaxjo $3,335

Chiang Mai is about 44% cheaper than Vaxjo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Vaxjo is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$13.39 SEK 132

-83.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$66.2 SEK 650

-71.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.95 SEK 97.7

-44.22%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.04 SEK 39.64

-58.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.52 SEK 14.92

-57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.32 SEK 12.94

-76.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$7.04 SEK 69.2

-66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.50 SEK 63.9

-43.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.71 SEK 16.75

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$2.50 SEK 24.54

-42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.88 SEK 38.06

-65.72%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.38 SEK 43.03

-47.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.31 SEK 131

23.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.59 SEK 104

-73.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.83 SEK 116

-21.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.28 SEK 32.16

-28.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.97 SEK 19.33

-50.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.00 SEK 19.60

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.81 SEK 47.25

-68.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.42 SEK 13.92

-9.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.53 SEK 15.00

-28.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.21 SEK 21.74

-67.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.37 SEK 13.48

-64.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$7.30 SEK 71.6

-43.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.54 SEK 74.1

132.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.91 SEK 18.79

-15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.64 SEK 16.13

69.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.16 SEK 31.01

-72.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$66.3 SEK 651

-18.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$8.00 SEK 78.5

-85.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.96 SEK 19.22

-72.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$80.0 SEK 786

-96.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.68 SEK 16.46

-13.69%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$33.4K SEK 328.0K

-36.96%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$32.7K SEK 321.2K

-17.62%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$88.9 SEK 873

-30.04%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$29.71 SEK 292

-59.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$30.34 SEK 298

-33.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$35.47 SEK 348

5.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.40 SEK 200

-81.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$16.15 SEK 159

-59.81%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$153 SEK 1,505

380.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$100 SEK 986

-46.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$29.84 SEK 293

-17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$71.5 SEK 702

27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$85.8 SEK 842

-16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$812 SEK 7,969

-40.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$653 SEK 6,412

-52.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,499 SEK 14.7K

-32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$944 SEK 9,265

-32.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,523 SEK 24.8K

-37.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,119 SEK 30.6K

-81.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.13

34.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vaxjo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Vaxjo

$653 39.2% 111% $344

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Vaxjo

$324 19.5% 38.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Vaxjo

$129 7.8% 19.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Vaxjo

$149 8.9% 57.6% $54

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Vaxjo

$245 14.7% 216% $167

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Vaxjo

$97 5.8% 57.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Vaxjo

$68 4.1% 34.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $812 in Vaxjo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Vaxjo are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $66 in Vaxjo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $324 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇪 Vaxjo

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

55,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Vaxjo 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Vaxjo

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 Vaxjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vaxjo costs about 78% 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 $2,497 in Vaxjo. 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 $812 in Vaxjo.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $153 in Vaxjo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Vaxjo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,665 in Vaxjo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,665 in Vaxjo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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