Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldenburg and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,946 in Oldenburg, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Oldenburg, Germany
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Oldenburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,946
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,946 per month in Oldenburg vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Oldenburg $1,946
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,870 per month in Oldenburg vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Oldenburg $2,870
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,793 per month in Oldenburg vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Oldenburg $3,793
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Oldenburg costs about 108% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Oldenburg sits 43% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.13 €9.98
$2.24 ฿75.6
396.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.3 €64.8
$19.00 ฿641
280.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.08 €9.93
$5.55 ฿187
99.64%
Cappuccino
$4.20 €3.77
$1.67 ฿56.5
151.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 €3.78
$0.64 ฿21.55
559.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 €2.94
$0.31 ฿10.31
958.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.11
$2.36 ฿79.6
141.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 €3.68
$3.66 ฿124
12.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.95 ฿65.8
-39.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 €1.96
$1.44 ฿48.48
52.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.85 €2.56
$1.33 ฿45.04
114.29%
Eggs
$3.75 €3.36
$2.28 ฿77.1
64.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.07 €10.81
$16.45 ฿555
-26.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.92 €10.68
$2.78 ฿93.9
328.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.27 €16.37
$9.31 ฿314
96.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 €2.79
$2.35 ฿79.4
32.34%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 €1.94
$0.97 ฿32.80
122.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.60 ฿53.9
33.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.18 €3.75
$1.50 ฿50.6
178.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 €1.09
$1.28 ฿43.12
-5.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.10 ฿37.19
9.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 €1.61
$0.71 ฿23.82
153.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.49 ฿16.37
112.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 €8.79
$4.14 ฿140
136.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.50 €5.83
$17.52 ฿591
-62.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.61 ฿54.5
-41.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 €1.30
$2.78 ฿94.0
-47.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.13 €2.81
$0.87 ฿29.31
259.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.2 €61.1
$54.1 ฿1,826
26.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.21 €5.57
$1.16 ฿39.06
435.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.98 €2.67
$0.53 ฿17.80
462.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.23 €38.74
$2.42 ฿81.8
1686.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.45 ฿48.90
40.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K €27.7K
$21.1K ฿710.7K
46.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K €34.4K
$26.9K ฿909.3K
42.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$331 €297
$62.2 ฿2,098
432.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.24 €17.24
$12.17 ฿411
58.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.73 €35.60
$20.12 ฿679
97.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.09 €31.45
$37.31 ฿1,259
-5.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.84 €7.03
$3.77 ฿127
107.96%
Cinema Ticket
$14.94 €13.39
$6.49 ฿219
130.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$511 €458
$736 ฿24.8K
-30.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.7K €12.3K
$14.8K ฿498.3K
-7.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.8 €77.8
$53.4 ฿1,801
62.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.31 €32.54
$24.64 ฿831
47.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 €89.7
$91.5 ฿3,087
9.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 €104
$71.9 ฿2,428
61.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$943 €845
$482 ฿16.3K
95.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$682 €611
$309 ฿10.4K
120.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,226 €1,099
$1,006 ฿33.9K
21.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 €1,008
$633 ฿21.4K
77.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,275 €3,831
$2,363 ฿79.8K
80.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,021 €2,707
$1,589 ฿53.6K
90.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oldenburg
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,535 €3,168
$590 ฿19.9K
499.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.69
5.57
-33.75%

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

Last update for Oldenburg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oldenburg
$682
Chiang Mai
$309 54.7% $373
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oldenburg
$390
Chiang Mai
$94 75.8% $296
Groceries & Markets
Oldenburg
$315
Chiang Mai
$234 25.6% $81
Eating Out
Oldenburg
$239
Chiang Mai
$78 67.6% $162
Clothing & Footwear
Oldenburg
$153
Chiang Mai
$109 28.9% $44
Getting Around
Oldenburg
$102
Chiang Mai
$61 39.8% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Oldenburg
$65
Chiang Mai
$50 22.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $943 in Oldenburg 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 Oldenburg are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Oldenburg versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Oldenburg
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
11:41 11:41 AM
17:41 5:41 PM
6 h ahead of Oldenburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
163,830
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oldenburg Chiang Mai 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oldenburg
  • 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
Oldenburg vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Oldenburg or Chiang Mai?
Oldenburg costs about 108% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Oldenburg and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,920 per month in Oldenburg and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Oldenburg or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $943 in Oldenburg.
How do childcare costs compare in Oldenburg and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $511 per month in Oldenburg and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Oldenburg or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 34% more in Oldenburg, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Oldenburg or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,946 in Oldenburg and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Oldenburg or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,946 in Oldenburg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Oldenburg compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Oldenburg or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oldenburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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