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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,600 per month in Moss vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,857 per month in Moss vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,114 per month in Moss vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Moss costs about 179% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Moss sits 90% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.47 NOK 202

$2.08 ฿69.5

932.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 NOK 744

$19.61 ฿655

302.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.28 NOK 135

$5.67 ฿189

151.85%

Cappuccino

$5.12 NOK 48.29

$1.81 ฿60.3

182.87%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.25

$0.77 ฿25.65

316.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 NOK 25.64

$0.35 ฿11.53

677.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 NOK 65.5

$2.21 ฿73.9

214.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.37 NOK 78.9

$3.79 ฿127

120.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 NOK 24.07

$2.05 ฿68.4

24.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 NOK 34.78

$1.51 ฿50.6

144.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 34.30

$1.40 ฿46.69

160.00%

Eggs

$3.48 NOK 32.81

$2.26 ฿75.4

53.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 NOK 130

$16.19 ฿540

-14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 NOK 125

$2.90 ฿96.7

357.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.70 NOK 270

$9.42 ฿314

204.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.49

$2.68 ฿89.4

24.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.86

$1.09 ฿36.37

132.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.02

$1.62 ฿54.0

77.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 56.5

$1.46 ฿48.74

310.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 22.11

$1.28 ฿42.65

83.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 25.15

$1.06 ฿35.31

151.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 NOK 25.38

$0.72 ฿23.94

273.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 NOK 23.10

$0.53 ฿17.56

362.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.72 NOK 148

$4.23 ฿141

271.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.06 NOK 151

$18.29 ฿611

-12.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 NOK 25.91

$1.63 ฿54.4

68.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 NOK 36.60

$2.90 ฿96.8

33.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 NOK 44.22

$0.88 ฿29.32

432.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 NOK 851

$53.8 ฿1,795

67.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.71 NOK 101

$1.17 ฿39.14

815.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.87

$0.58 ฿19.30

227.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.40 NOK 437

$2.39 ฿79.6

1841.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.34

$1.45 ฿48.41

55.86%

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

$44.4K NOK 418.5K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

111.36%

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

$42.3K NOK 398.2K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

59.93%

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

$302 NOK 2,843

$63.7 ฿2,125

373.94%

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

$33.30 NOK 314

$12.89 ฿430

158.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 NOK 536

$20.52 ฿685

177.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 NOK 383

$39.02 ฿1,302

4.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 NOK 332

$3.92 ฿131

797.96%

Cinema Ticket

$18.82 NOK 177

$6.58 ฿220

186.02%

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

$248 NOK 2,336

$784 ฿26.2K

-68.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,838 NOK 36.2K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-73.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 972

$55.1 ฿1,840

87.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 NOK 590

$24.74 ฿826

153.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,020

$94.1 ฿3,142

15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,361

$74.0 ฿2,469

95.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 NOK 11.8K

$490 ฿16.4K

155.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 NOK 8,779

$288 ฿9,620

223.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 NOK 20.0K

$891 ฿29.8K

138.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.3K

$521 ฿17.4K

212.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,389 NOK 50.8K

$1,974 ฿65.9K

173.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,204 NOK 39.6K

$1,444 ฿48.2K

191.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,450 NOK 41.9K

$602 ฿20.1K

639.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Moss: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,252 in Moss versus $490 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 640% higher in Moss, 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 $79.0 in Moss versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $464 vs $241 – 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

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

Moss costs about 179% 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 $3,899 per month in Moss and $1,398 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 $248 per month in Moss and $784 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Moss, 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 $932, than in Moss at $2,600. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moss it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $932 versus $2,600 in Moss. 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, Moss makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.