Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,288 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,288

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Molde vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Molde $2,288
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,546 per month in Molde vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Molde $3,546
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,803 per month in Molde vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Molde $4,803
Chiang Mai $1,979

Molde costs about 145% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Molde sits 68% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 NOK 155

$2.24 ฿75.6

649.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 NOK 915

$19.00 ฿641

422.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 124

$5.55 ฿187

141.98%

Cappuccino

$4.01 NOK 36.98

$1.67 ฿56.5

140.12%

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

$2.96 NOK 27.26

$0.64 ฿21.55

362.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.03

$0.31 ฿10.31

1022.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.98 NOK 120

$2.36 ฿79.6

450.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.03 NOK 111

$3.66 ฿124

228.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 NOK 27.62

$1.95 ฿65.8

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 NOK 40.63

$1.44 ฿48.48

206.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 NOK 36.94

$1.33 ฿45.04

201.50%

Eggs

$5.49 NOK 50.6

$2.28 ฿77.1

140.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.51 NOK 171

$16.45 ฿555

12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.95 NOK 147

$2.78 ฿93.9

473.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 31.93

$2.35 ฿79.4

47.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.12

$0.97 ฿32.80

225.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.20

$1.60 ฿53.9

91.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 45.65

$1.50 ฿50.6

230.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.17

$1.28 ฿43.12

104.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NOK 21.29

$1.10 ฿37.19

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 NOK 26.19

$0.71 ฿23.82

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.15 NOK 186

$4.14 ฿140

386.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.18 NOK 214

$17.52 ฿591

32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.32

$1.61 ฿54.5

165.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 NOK 72.6

$2.78 ฿94.0

183.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.28 NOK 48.62

$0.87 ฿29.31

506.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 782

$54.1 ฿1,826

56.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.27 NOK 150

$1.16 ฿39.06

1302.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.21

$1.45 ฿48.90

66.21%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$21.68 NOK 200

$12.17 ฿411

78.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 NOK 782

$20.12 ฿679

321.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 NOK 542

$37.31 ฿1,259

57.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$18.72 NOK 173

$6.49 ฿219

188.44%

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

$217 NOK 1,998

$736 ฿24.8K

-70.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,044

$53.4 ฿1,801

112.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,271

$91.5 ฿3,087

50.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,476

$71.9 ฿2,428

122.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 NOK 11.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

164.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NOK 9,335

$309 ฿10.4K

227.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 NOK 17.8K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

91.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 NOK 15.8K

$633 ฿21.4K

169.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 NOK 40.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

641.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.57

-13.82%

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

Last update for Molde: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,276 in Molde versus $482 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 Molde are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Molde versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

17:02 5:02 PM

6 h ahead of Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

127,240

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Molde Chiang Mai 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Molde
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

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

Molde costs about 145% 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 $3,432 per month in Molde 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 $482 there versus $1,276 in Molde.

Kindergarten costs $217 per month in Molde and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Molde, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,288 in Molde and $936 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,288 in Molde. 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, Molde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.