Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsingborg and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,710 in Helsingborg, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,710

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsingborg 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 Helsingborg and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,710 per month in Helsingborg vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Helsingborg $1,710
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,636 per month in Helsingborg vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Helsingborg $2,636
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Helsingborg vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Helsingborg $3,561
Chiang Mai $1,903

Helsingborg costs about 85% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Helsingborg sits 26% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.35 SEK 132

$2.29 ฿76.5

482.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 SEK 686

$19.64 ฿656

252.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 SEK 126

$5.61 ฿188

127.27%

Cappuccino

$4.53 SEK 44.87

$1.66 ฿55.6

172.89%

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

$2.88 SEK 28.49

$0.70 ฿23.40

311.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 23.60

$0.31 ฿10.24

667.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 SEK 67.5

$2.41 ฿80.4

182.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 SEK 61.4

$3.71 ฿124

67.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.61

$1.95 ฿65.3

-24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 26.65

$1.41 ฿47.03

90.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 29.08

$1.31 ฿43.62

123.66%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.60

$2.18 ฿72.9

78.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 SEK 111

$16.65 ฿556

-32.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 SEK 112

$2.76 ฿92.2

308.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 SEK 150

$9.11 ฿304

66.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 31.11

$2.39 ฿80.0

31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.03

$1.03 ฿34.26

145.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 28.67

$1.63 ฿54.4

77.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 44.31

$1.50 ฿50.0

198.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 17.02

$1.29 ฿43.13

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.64

$1.11 ฿37.03

42.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SEK 18.38

$0.72 ฿24.08

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.99

$0.53 ฿17.59

203.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 SEK 81.0

$4.31 ฿144

89.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 SEK 90.1

$17.95 ฿600

-49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.78

$1.58 ฿52.9

32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.77

$2.84 ฿95.0

-22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 SEK 32.25

$0.86 ฿28.86

279.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 SEK 616

$53.3 ฿1,780

16.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 SEK 62.2

$1.21 ฿40.29

419.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SEK 17.00

$0.57 ฿18.99

201.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.5 SEK 599

$2.35 ฿78.6

2472.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$1.44 ฿47.96

25.00%

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

$32.8K SEK 325.2K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

58.33%

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

$33.8K SEK 335.2K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

26.23%

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

$103 SEK 1,020

$62.3 ฿2,083

65.12%

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

$19.97 SEK 198

$12.11 ฿405

64.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.57 SEK 333

$19.94 ฿666

68.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.54 SEK 382

$37.07 ฿1,239

3.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 SEK 220

$3.78 ฿126

488.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 SEK 147

$6.50 ฿217

128.00%

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

$176 SEK 1,746

$793 ฿26.5K

-77.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 SEK 794

$53.7 ฿1,796

49.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.62 SEK 333

$24.62 ฿823

36.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 SEK 864

$90.9 ฿3,036

-3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 SEK 1,060

$71.1 ฿2,378

50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 SEK 8,380

$455 ฿15.2K

85.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 SEK 6,464

$298 ฿9,954

119.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 SEK 13.9K

$908 ฿30.4K

53.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$554 ฿18.5K

94.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,133 SEK 31.0K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,265 SEK 22.4K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

56.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,880 SEK 28.5K

$591 ฿19.7K

387.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

5.57

-45.06%

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

Last update for Helsingborg: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsingborg

$652 38.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 54.3% $355

Groceries & Markets

Helsingborg

$337 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 30.2% $102

Eating Out

Helsingborg

$267 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 70.6% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsingborg

$156 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 39.7% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Helsingborg

$139 8.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 22% $30

Getting Around

Helsingborg

$90 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 32.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Helsingborg

$68 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 26.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Helsingborg versus $455 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 387% higher in Helsingborg, 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 $69.0 in Helsingborg versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:24 4:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

5 h ahead of Helsingborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,838

127,240

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Helsingborg Chiang Mai 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Helsingborg
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

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

Helsingborg costs about 85% 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 $2,565 per month in Helsingborg and $1,388 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 $176 per month in Helsingborg and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Helsingborg, 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 $925, than in Helsingborg at $1,710. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helsingborg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,710 in Helsingborg. 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, Helsingborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.