Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafnarfjordur and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,853 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $35,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,853

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hafnarfjordur and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,853 per month in Hafnarfjordur vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hafnarfjordur $3,853
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $5,410 per month in Hafnarfjordur vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hafnarfjordur $5,410
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $6,967 per month in Hafnarfjordur vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hafnarfjordur $6,967
Chiang Mai $1,979

Hafnarfjordur costs about 312% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hafnarfjordur sits 183% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.04 ISK 3,768

$2.24 ฿75.6

1285.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 ISK 15.1K

$19.00 ฿641

556.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.40 ISK 1,991

$5.55 ฿187

195.50%

Cappuccino

$6.71 ISK 814

$1.67 ฿56.5

301.80%

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

$3.33 ISK 405

$0.64 ฿21.55

420.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ISK 382

$0.31 ฿10.31

912.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.02 ISK 1,703

$2.36 ฿79.6

494.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.11 ISK 1,470

$3.66 ฿124

230.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ISK 203

$1.95 ฿65.8

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 ISK 511

$1.44 ฿48.48

192.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ISK 450

$1.33 ฿45.04

178.95%

Eggs

$7.26 ISK 881

$2.28 ฿77.1

218.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.51 ISK 2,611

$16.45 ฿555

30.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.40 ISK 2,962

$2.78 ฿93.9

777.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.76 ISK 5,070

$9.31 ฿314

348.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ISK 394

$2.35 ฿79.4

37.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ISK 301

$0.97 ฿32.80

155.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ISK 388

$1.60 ฿53.9

99.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ISK 779

$1.50 ฿50.6

327.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ISK 477

$1.28 ฿43.12

207.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.10 ฿37.19

49.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 ISK 448

$0.71 ฿23.82

419.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ISK 221

$0.49 ฿16.37

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 ISK 1,705

$4.14 ฿140

239.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.05 ISK 2,920

$17.52 ฿591

37.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.61 ฿54.5

119.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ISK 411

$2.78 ฿94.0

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.10 ISK 620

$0.87 ฿29.31

486.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

$54.1 ฿1,826

57.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 ISK 840

$1.16 ฿39.06

496.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 ISK 345

$0.53 ฿17.80

435.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.8 ISK 9,811

$2.42 ฿81.8

3239.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 ISK 243

$1.45 ฿48.90

37.93%

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

$68.7K ISK 8.3M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

226.40%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

106.97%

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

$69.4 ISK 8,419

$62.2 ฿2,098

11.55%

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

$32.65 ISK 3,964

$12.17 ฿411

168.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

$20.12 ฿679

322.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ISK 7,900

$37.31 ฿1,259

74.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$17.08 ISK 2,073

$6.49 ฿219

163.17%

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

$1,172 ISK 142.3K

$736 ฿24.8K

59.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K ISK 3.1M

$14.8K ฿498.3K

75.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ISK 15.1K

$53.4 ฿1,801

133.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.1 ISK 8,150

$24.64 ฿831

172.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ISK 15.1K

$91.5 ฿3,087

36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$246 ISK 29.9K

$71.9 ฿2,428

242.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 ISK 303.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

417.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ISK 251.8K

$309 ฿10.4K

571.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,232 ISK 392.3K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

221.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 ISK 324.2K

$633 ฿21.4K

321.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,011 ISK 851.1K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

196.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,014 ISK 851.6K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

341.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,674 ISK 567.4K

$590 ฿19.9K

692.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

5.57

58.17%

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

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 85.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Hafnarfjordur

$615 16%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 61.9% $380

Eating Out

Hafnarfjordur

$498 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 84.4% $421

Clothing & Footwear

Hafnarfjordur

$253 6.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 57.1% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hafnarfjordur

$187 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 49.5% $93

Getting Around

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 51.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 49.3% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,496 in Hafnarfjordur versus $482 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 in Hafnarfjordur are about 7.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Hafnarfjordur versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $615 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

7 h ahead of Hafnarfjordur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,525

127,240

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

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).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hafnarfjordur Chiang Mai 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Hafnarfjordur
Chiang Mai

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

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

Hafnarfjordur costs about 312% 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 $5,780 per month in Hafnarfjordur and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $2,496 in Hafnarfjordur.

Kindergarten costs $1,172 per month in Hafnarfjordur and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 162% more in Hafnarfjordur, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,853 in Hafnarfjordur and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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