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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,422 per month in Karmøy vs $845 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Karmøy vs $1,323 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,161 per month in Karmøy vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karmøy costs about 187% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karmøy sits 81% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 NOK 235

$1.95 ฿62.8

1196.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 945

$18.43 ฿594

451.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 NOK 125

$7.50 ฿241

78.80%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.36

$1.93 ฿62.3

152.85%

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

$3.12 NOK 29.04

$0.78 ฿25.08

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.51

$0.32 ฿10.42

790.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 NOK 93.2

$2.15 ฿69.2

366.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.1

$3.71 ฿120

152.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$1.71 ฿55.2

28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 31.37

$1.56 ฿50.3

116.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.75

$1.18 ฿38.06

171.19%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 40.17

$1.98 ฿63.9

118.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 NOK 110

$16.04 ฿517

-26.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 NOK 136

$3.17 ฿102

362.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.42 NOK 264

$10.94 ฿353

159.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.25

$2.63 ฿84.7

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.85

$1.17 ฿37.61

110.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 30.20

$1.65 ฿53.0

96.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 NOK 40.36

$1.54 ฿49.51

181.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 22.73

$1.38 ฿44.34

76.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.01

$1.17 ฿37.54

120.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 NOK 25.93

$0.66 ฿21.25

322.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NOK 17.52

$0.51 ฿16.55

268.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 NOK 128

$4.52 ฿146

204.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.22 NOK 169

$18.32 ฿590

-0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$1.80 ฿57.9

86.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NOK 36.57

$3.18 ฿102

23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 39.80

$0.90 ฿28.97

375.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 NOK 686

$19.00 ฿612

288.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NOK 95.6

$1.41 ฿45.50

629.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.06

$1.31 ฿42.15

6.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.28 NOK 440

$8.09 ฿261

484.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 NOK 18.57

$1.28 ฿41.08

56.25%

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

$34.8K NOK 323.6K

$21.3K ฿686.1K

63.40%

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

$38.2K NOK 355.1K

$21.7K ฿699.3K

75.91%

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

$238 NOK 2,210

$69.2 ฿2,230

243.37%

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

$37.95 NOK 353

$13.97 ฿450

171.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 NOK 510

$17.95 ฿578

205.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 467

$42.31 ฿1,363

18.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.73 NOK 323

$6.66 ฿214

421.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.37 NOK 152

$5.92 ฿191

176.52%

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

$287 NOK 2,674

$299 ฿9,640

-3.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 93.2K

$14.8K ฿478.4K

-32.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 889

$56.2 ฿1,810

70.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 NOK 483

$26.94 ฿868

92.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,011

$84.9 ฿2,735

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,401

$71.8 ฿2,314

109.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

$435 ฿14.0K

177.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,396

$240 ฿7,727

276.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

$798 ฿25.7K

124.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 14.4K

$498 ฿16.1K

210.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,458 NOK 50.8K

$1,995 ฿64.3K

173.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,019 NOK 37.4K

$1,532 ฿49.4K

162.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,995 NOK 37.2K

$628 ฿20.2K

535.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

-12.40%

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

Last update for Karmøy: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,206 in Karmøy versus $435 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 536% higher in Karmøy, 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 $102 in Karmøy versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $244 – 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

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

Karmøy costs about 187% 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 $3,634 per month in Karmøy and $1,267 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 $287 per month in Karmøy and $299 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% more in Karmøy, 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 $845, than in Karmøy at $2,422. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karmøy it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $845 versus $2,422 in Karmøy. 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, Karmøy makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.