Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kajaani and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,812 in Kajaani, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Kajaani
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Kajaani Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kajaani

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,812

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,812 per month in Kajaani vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kajaani $1,812
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,744 per month in Kajaani vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kajaani $2,744
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,676 per month in Kajaani vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kajaani $3,676
Chiang Mai $1,999

Kajaani costs about 94% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kajaani sits 34% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 €14.82

$2.13 ฿72.0

678.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 €58.4

$18.62 ฿628

250.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 €9.19

$5.60 ฿189

83.57%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €4.03

$1.66 ฿56.1

171.69%

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

$2.47 €2.21

$0.65 ฿21.83

280.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.52

$0.30 ฿10.29

466.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 €7.44

$2.32 ฿78.4

259.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 €6.67

$3.67 ฿124

103.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.33

$2.02 ฿68.0

-26.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 €2.30

$1.41 ฿47.51

82.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.39 ฿46.96

62.59%

Eggs

$2.85 €2.55

$2.37 ฿79.9

20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 €7.50

$16.52 ฿557

-49.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 €10.61

$2.67 ฿90.1

344.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.19 €20.74

$9.02 ฿304

157.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.40 ฿80.9

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.04 ฿35.13

100.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.13

$1.66 ฿56.0

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 €3.51

$1.56 ฿52.6

151.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.24 ฿41.76

21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.09 ฿36.66

100.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.76 ฿25.70

93.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.60

$0.51 ฿17.35

250.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 €11.92

$4.12 ฿139

223.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 €11.95

$17.93 ฿605

-25.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.78

$1.62 ฿54.8

91.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.09

$2.82 ฿95.2

22.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €3.06

$0.93 ฿31.53

267.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 €57.6

$52.9 ฿1,785

21.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 €7.56

$1.18 ฿39.70

616.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.17 ฿5.79

717.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.3 €58.4

$1.81 ฿61.1

3507.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.47 ฿49.69

56.46%

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

$36.8K €32.9K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

75.24%

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

$38.2K €34.2K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

44.12%

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

$143 €128

$62.6 ฿2,111

129.32%

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

$29.59 €26.46

$11.60 ฿392

155.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.80 €19.50

$20.30 ฿685

7.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 €38.35

$37.88 ฿1,278

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.47 €20.10

$3.70 ฿125

507.30%

Cinema Ticket

$19.20 €17.17

$6.51 ฿220

194.93%

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

$389 €348

$727 ฿24.5K

-46.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €11.2K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-24.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 €80.6

$53.5 ฿1,807

68.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.83 €24.89

$24.80 ฿837

12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 €50.3

$90.4 ฿3,050

-37.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €134

$72.0 ฿2,428

107.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 €712

$481 ฿16.2K

65.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$651 €582

$310 ฿10.5K

110.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 €1,080

$1,058 ฿35.7K

14.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €919

$659 ฿22.2K

56.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,073 €3,642

$2,418 ฿81.6K

68.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,175 €1,945

$1,609 ฿54.3K

35.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,017 €1,803

$595 ฿20.1K

239.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

5.57

-22.26%

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

Last update for Kajaani: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kajaani

$651 35.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 52.4% $341

Groceries & Markets

Kajaani

$355 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 33.3% $118

Eating Out

Kajaani

$291 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 73.7% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kajaani

$195 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 51.5% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Kajaani

$146 8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 25.6% $37

Getting Around

Kajaani

$93 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 37.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Kajaani

$81 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 37.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $797 in Kajaani versus $481 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 Kajaani are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Kajaani versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Kajaani

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

5 h ahead of Kajaani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,492

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kajaani Chiang Mai 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Kajaani
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

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

Kajaani costs about 94% 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 $2,718 per month in Kajaani 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 $481 there versus $797 in Kajaani.

Kindergarten costs $389 per month in Kajaani and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Kajaani, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,812 in Kajaani and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,812 in Kajaani. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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