Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakobstad and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,823 in Jakobstad, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Jakobstad
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Jakobstad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Jakobstad

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,823

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,823 per month in Jakobstad vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jakobstad $1,823
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,826 per month in Jakobstad vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jakobstad $2,826
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,830 per month in Jakobstad vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jakobstad $3,830
Chiang Mai $1,903

Jakobstad costs about 97% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Jakobstad sits 35% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.22 €11.75

$2.29 ฿76.5

477.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 €77.4

$19.64 ฿656

342.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 €10.53

$5.61 ฿188

111.05%

Cappuccino

$5.07 €4.51

$1.66 ฿55.6

205.42%

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

$3.04 €2.71

$0.70 ฿23.40

334.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.79

$0.31 ฿10.24

551.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 €6.74

$2.41 ฿80.4

214.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 €7.90

$3.71 ฿124

139.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.95 ฿65.3

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.41 ฿47.03

93.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.31 ฿43.62

81.68%

Eggs

$3.29 €2.92

$2.18 ฿72.9

50.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 €7.83

$16.65 ฿556

-47.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 €12.80

$2.76 ฿92.2

421.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.61 €19.22

$9.11 ฿304

137.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.39 ฿80.0

-4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.03 ฿34.26

95.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$1.63 ฿54.4

52.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.42

$1.50 ฿50.0

156.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.29 ฿43.13

-3.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.11 ฿37.03

72.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 €2.46

$0.72 ฿24.08

284.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$0.53 ฿17.59

267.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 €10.17

$4.31 ฿144

165.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.13 €14.35

$17.95 ฿600

-10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.82

$1.58 ฿52.9

100.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.84 ฿95.0

14.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €2.99

$0.86 ฿28.86

290.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 €57.8

$53.3 ฿1,780

21.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 €3.80

$1.21 ฿40.29

252.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.57 ฿18.99

136.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.7 €58.4

$2.35 ฿78.6

2694.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.12

$1.44 ฿47.96

65.28%

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

$35.9K €32.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

73.41%

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

$36.6K €32.6K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

36.57%

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

$131 €116

$62.3 ฿2,083

109.69%

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

$24.58 €21.86

$12.11 ฿405

102.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.74 €21.12

$19.94 ฿666

19.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.74 €38.90

$37.07 ฿1,239

17.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €19.42

$3.78 ฿126

477.51%

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 €16.14

$6.50 ฿217

179.08%

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

$332 €295

$793 ฿26.5K

-58.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €11.0K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-16.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 €84.1

$53.7 ฿1,796

75.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 €43.06

$24.62 ฿823

96.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.9

$90.9 ฿3,036

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €139

$71.1 ฿2,378

119.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €701

$455 ฿15.2K

73.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 €569

$298 ฿9,954

114.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$908 ฿30.4K

34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €911

$554 ฿18.5K

84.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,117 €3,662

$1,931 ฿64.5K

113.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,155 €1,917

$1,445 ฿48.3K

49.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,276 €2,024

$591 ฿19.7K

285.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

5.57

-36.98%

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

Last update for Jakobstad: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jakobstad

$640 35.1%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 53.5% $342

Groceries & Markets

Jakobstad

$375 20.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 37.2% $140

Eating Out

Jakobstad

$278 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 71.7% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Jakobstad

$181 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 40.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jakobstad

$179 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 47.3% $85

Getting Around

Jakobstad

$89 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 32% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Jakobstad

$80 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 37.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Jakobstad 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 285% higher in Jakobstad, 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 $87.0 in Jakobstad versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Jakobstad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

15:47 3:47 PM

4 h ahead of Jakobstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,436

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Jakobstad Chiang Mai 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Jakobstad
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

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

Jakobstad costs about 97% 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 $2,734 per month in Jakobstad 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 $332 per month in Jakobstad 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 59% more in Jakobstad, 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 Jakobstad at $1,823. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jakobstad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,823 in Jakobstad. 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, Jakobstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.