Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalix and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,674 in Kalix, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kalix
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Kalix Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kalix

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,674

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Kalix vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalix $1,674
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,718 per month in Kalix vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalix $2,718
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,761 per month in Kalix vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kalix $3,761
Chiang Mai $1,999

Kalix costs about 79% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kalix sits 24% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.52 SEK 133

$2.13 ฿71.4

534.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.6 SEK 859

$18.62 ฿623

370.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 SEK 101

$5.60 ฿187

83.21%

Cappuccino

$3.96 SEK 38.87

$1.66 ฿55.6

138.55%

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

$2.36 SEK 23.20

$0.65 ฿21.63

263.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 22.31

$0.30 ฿10.20

656.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 SEK 67.3

$2.32 ฿77.7

195.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 SEK 74.8

$3.67 ฿123

107.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SEK 17.42

$2.02 ฿67.4

-11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 SEK 26.10

$1.41 ฿47.08

88.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 32.48

$1.39 ฿46.54

138.13%

Eggs

$4.56 SEK 44.73

$2.37 ฿79.2

92.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 SEK 124

$16.52 ฿552

-23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 113

$2.67 ฿89.3

330.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 SEK 194

$9.02 ฿302

118.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 31.82

$2.40 ฿80.2

35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 SEK 22.88

$1.04 ฿34.82

124.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.67

$1.66 ฿55.5

75.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 40.99

$1.56 ฿52.1

167.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.54

$1.24 ฿41.39

27.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 14.54

$1.09 ฿36.34

35.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 SEK 21.23

$0.76 ฿25.47

184.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 SEK 13.61

$0.51 ฿17.19

172.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 SEK 78.6

$4.12 ฿138

94.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 SEK 102

$17.93 ฿600

-41.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 20.83

$1.62 ฿54.3

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.85

$2.82 ฿94.4

-10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 SEK 34.86

$0.93 ฿31.25

281.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 SEK 760

$52.9 ฿1,769

46.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 SEK 52.3

$1.18 ฿39.35

351.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.29

$0.17 ฿5.73

876.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 SEK 592

$1.81 ฿60.6

3235.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.41

$1.47 ฿49.25

27.89%

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

$30.4K SEK 297.8K

$21.0K ฿702.6K

44.47%

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

$29.8K SEK 292.7K

$26.5K ฿886.7K

12.52%

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

$102 SEK 999

$62.6 ฿2,092

62.82%

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

$20.82 SEK 204

$11.60 ฿388

79.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.61 SEK 398

$20.30 ฿679

100.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 SEK 379

$37.88 ฿1,267

2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.28 SEK 297

$3.70 ฿124

718.38%

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 SEK 174

$6.51 ฿218

172.96%

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

$163 SEK 1,603

$727 ฿24.3K

-77.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,146 SEK 50.5K

$16.6K ฿554.2K

-68.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 SEK 914

$53.5 ฿1,790

74.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.94 SEK 402

$24.80 ฿829

65.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 SEK 866

$90.4 ฿3,023

-2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 SEK 1,330

$72.0 ฿2,407

88.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 SEK 7,459

$481 ฿16.1K

58.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 SEK 5,428

$310 ฿10.4K

78.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 SEK 11.6K

$1,058 ฿35.4K

11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 SEK 10.2K

$659 ฿22.0K

57.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 SEK 36.5K

$2,418 ฿80.8K

53.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 SEK 24.4K

$1,609 ฿53.8K

54.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.57

-39.32%

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

Last update for Kalix: 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

Kalix

$553 33%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 44% $243

Groceries & Markets

Kalix

$363 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 34.7% $126

Eating Out

Kalix

$255 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 69.9% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalix

$163 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 42.1% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Kalix

$161 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 32.8% $53

Getting Around

Kalix

$105 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 44.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Kalix

$74 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 31.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $760 in Kalix 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Kalix versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Kalix

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

13:04 1:04 PM

6 h ahead of Kalix

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,734

127,240

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.08 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11.01 SEK (100 SEK = 9.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Kalix
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

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

Kalix costs about 79% 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 $2,512 per month in Kalix 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 $760 in Kalix.

Kindergarten costs $163 per month in Kalix 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 53% more in Kalix, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,674 in Kalix 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 $1,674 in Kalix. 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 44% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.