Cost of Living Comparison Between Drammen and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Drammen and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,650 per month in Drammen vs $942 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,081 per month in Drammen vs $1,427 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,513 per month in Drammen vs $1,912 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Drammen costs about 181% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Drammen sits 97% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.29 NOK 203

$2.08 ฿69.7

923.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 NOK 1,197

$19.91 ฿666

531.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 NOK 105

$5.58 ฿187

97.13%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 49.16

$1.74 ฿58.1

196.55%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.80

$0.72 ฿24.08

466.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NOK 18.65

$0.32 ฿10.71

512.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.74 NOK 112

$2.25 ฿75.3

421.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 NOK 66.6

$3.81 ฿128

83.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 NOK 24.45

$2.02 ฿67.6

27.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 NOK 38.65

$1.57 ฿52.6

158.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 NOK 44.88

$1.40 ฿46.72

236.43%

Eggs

$4.88 NOK 46.49

$2.15 ฿72.0

126.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 NOK 134

$15.63 ฿523

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.46 NOK 147

$2.95 ฿98.6

424.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.53 NOK 281

$9.49 ฿318

211.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.28

$2.60 ฿87.2

26.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.83

$1.08 ฿36.19

141.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.23

$1.59 ฿53.3

126.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 NOK 58.0

$1.45 ฿48.62

320.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 26.27

$1.28 ฿42.72

115.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 NOK 26.81

$1.11 ฿37.18

154.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 29.35

$0.73 ฿24.30

321.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.76

$0.50 ฿16.72

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.08 NOK 163

$4.27 ฿143

300.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 NOK 149

$17.67 ฿591

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.51

$1.68 ฿56.3

103.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NOK 40.57

$2.80 ฿93.8

52.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 NOK 32.07

$0.87 ฿28.95

287.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 NOK 894

$54.2 ฿1,814

73.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.23 NOK 116

$1.21 ฿40.59

910.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 17.10

$0.54 ฿18.03

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.2 NOK 658

$2.39 ฿79.9

2794.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.44

$1.46 ฿48.98

54.11%

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

$45.6K NOK 434.4K

$21.0K ฿703.3K

117.17%

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

$44.1K NOK 419.9K

$26.7K ฿893.4K

65.27%

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

$268 NOK 2,548

$62.1 ฿2,078

331.27%

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

$32.58 NOK 310

$12.93 ฿433

151.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NOK 503

$20.61 ฿690

156.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 NOK 770

$39.21 ฿1,312

106.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 NOK 174

$6.52 ฿218

181.13%

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

$250 NOK 2,378

$803 ฿26.9K

-68.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NOK 151.6K

$14.7K ฿491.9K

8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 958

$55.9 ฿1,870

80.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 NOK 580

$25.51 ฿854

139.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 NOK 1,261

$91.1 ฿3,048

45.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,429

$73.3 ฿2,453

104.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 NOK 12.6K

$484 ฿16.2K

172.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,573

$288 ฿9,646

248.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 NOK 20.1K

$885 ฿29.6K

138.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 NOK 15.3K

$523 ฿17.5K

208.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K NOK 99.8K

$1,989 ฿66.6K

427.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,289 NOK 59.9K

$1,440 ฿48.2K

336.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,606 NOK 34.3K

$603 ฿20.2K

498.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.57

-18.49%

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

Last update for Drammen: September 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,319 in Drammen versus $484 in Chiang Mai. 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 498% higher in Drammen, 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 $126 in Drammen versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $503 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Drammen vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drammen costs about 181% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,975 per month in Drammen and $1,414 in Chiang Mai. 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 $250 per month in Drammen and $803 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Drammen, 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 $942, than in Drammen at $2,650. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Drammen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $942 versus $2,650 in Drammen. 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, Drammen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.