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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,372 per month in Hamar vs $848 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,738 per month in Hamar vs $1,331 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,105 per month in Hamar vs $1,814 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hamar costs about 180% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Hamar sits 78% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.40 NOK 247

$1.96 ฿64.1

1195.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,195

$18.39 ฿603

566.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 NOK 150

$7.87 ฿258

95.55%

Cappuccino

$4.94 NOK 48.11

$1.95 ฿63.9

153.33%

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

$4.06 NOK 39.50

$0.85 ฿27.80

377.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.94

$0.32 ฿10.61

893.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.19 NOK 119

$2.14 ฿70.2

469.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 NOK 78.9

$3.68 ฿121

120.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.54

$1.66 ฿54.4

27.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 NOK 27.72

$1.56 ฿51.1

82.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 19.26

$1.19 ฿38.95

66.39%

Eggs

$4.98 NOK 48.48

$1.99 ฿65.2

150.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 101

$16.24 ฿532

-36.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 NOK 118

$3.17 ฿104

280.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.86 NOK 301

$10.84 ฿355

184.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 34.58

$2.65 ฿87.0

33.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 25.43

$1.22 ฿40.00

113.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.30

$1.65 ฿54.1

82.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 NOK 48.71

$1.55 ฿50.7

222.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 23.06

$1.33 ฿43.53

78.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 23.18

$1.21 ฿39.75

96.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NOK 19.35

$0.68 ฿22.22

192.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.42

$0.57 ฿18.54

231.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.50 NOK 170

$4.68 ฿154

273.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.45 NOK 180

$16.99 ฿557

8.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.60

$1.82 ฿59.8

89.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 41.62

$3.18 ฿104

34.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 42.30

$0.91 ฿29.70

376.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 NOK 633

$18.74 ฿614

246.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 NOK 97.7

$1.41 ฿46.18

611.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.65

$1.34 ฿43.88

4.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.03 NOK 409

$8.14 ฿267

416.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 21.43

$1.28 ฿41.88

71.88%

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

$36.1K NOK 351.8K

$21.8K ฿715.2K

65.46%

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

$43.4K NOK 422.3K

$22.4K ฿734.1K

93.55%

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

$219 NOK 2,137

$70.5 ฿2,310

211.25%

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

$30.64 NOK 298

$14.05 ฿460

118.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 NOK 542

$17.65 ฿578

215.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 NOK 547

$41.29 ฿1,353

36.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.84 NOK 271

$6.76 ฿222

311.83%

Cinema Ticket

$18.11 NOK 176

$5.96 ฿195

203.86%

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

$199 NOK 1,939

$303 ฿9,928

-34.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 142.2K

$15.0K ฿490.2K

-2.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 1,017

$54.7 ฿1,793

90.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 NOK 580

$26.29 ฿861

126.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,197

$85.8 ฿2,811

43.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NOK 981

$69.7 ฿2,284

44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.6K

$428 ฿14.0K

178.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 NOK 8,227

$239 ฿7,834

253.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 NOK 14.5K

$811 ฿26.6K

83.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 14.3K

$510 ฿16.7K

187.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,331 NOK 42.2K

$2,025 ฿66.4K

113.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,526 NOK 34.3K

$1,502 ฿49.2K

134.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,192 NOK 40.8K

$623 ฿20.4K

573.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

1.60%

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

Last update for Hamar: June 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,192 in Hamar versus $428 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 573% higher in Hamar, 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 $123 in Hamar versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $437 vs $242 – 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

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

Hamar costs about 180% 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 $3,558 per month in Hamar and $1,272 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 $199 per month in Hamar and $303 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Hamar, 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 $848, than in Hamar at $2,372. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $848 versus $2,372 in Hamar. 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, Hamar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.