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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,299 per month in Porsgrunn vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,541 per month in Porsgrunn vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,783 per month in Porsgrunn vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Porsgrunn costs about 167% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Porsgrunn sits 72% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 NOK 275

$1.96 ฿65.7

1356.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 975

$18.35 ฿616

451.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 NOK 127

$7.48 ฿251

76.20%

Cappuccino

$4.95 NOK 47.66

$2.02 ฿67.7

145.05%

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

$2.00 NOK 19.25

$0.85 ฿28.45

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.83

$0.36 ฿11.94

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.98 NOK 86.5

$2.14 ฿71.7

319.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 93.2

$3.59 ฿121

169.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.70

$1.65 ฿55.4

24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 NOK 32.94

$1.57 ฿52.6

117.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 32.00

$1.19 ฿39.95

178.99%

Eggs

$2.47 NOK 23.78

$1.94 ฿65.0

27.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 NOK 99.1

$16.19 ฿544

-36.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 NOK 97.0

$2.99 ฿100

236.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.84 NOK 336

$10.94 ฿367

218.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 NOK 19.27

$2.71 ฿91.0

-26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 NOK 16.07

$1.17 ฿39.18

42.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.96

$1.69 ฿56.6

47.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.98

$1.60 ฿53.9

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 NOK 9.90

$1.38 ฿46.45

-25.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.49

$1.20 ฿40.38

77.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NOK 22.68

$0.67 ฿22.46

250.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 NOK 18.28

$0.56 ฿18.70

239.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 NOK 137

$4.64 ฿156

206.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.13 NOK 175

$17.62 ฿591

2.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.76

$1.86 ฿62.4

60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 NOK 38.55

$3.30 ฿111

21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 NOK 32.43

$0.88 ฿29.63

282.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NOK 702

$19.34 ฿649

276.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NOK 96.9

$1.36 ฿45.82

638.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 14.03

$1.34 ฿44.90

8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.3 NOK 957

$8.21 ฿276

1109.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 NOK 19.14

$1.22 ฿41.11

63.11%

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

$35.6K NOK 343.1K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

66.81%

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

$38.6K NOK 371.5K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

71.20%

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

$220 NOK 2,114

$70.7 ฿2,372

210.61%

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

$44.23 NOK 426

$14.04 ฿471

215.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.49 NOK 361

$17.49 ฿587

114.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 NOK 467

$42.15 ฿1,415

15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.12 NOK 338

$6.88 ฿231

410.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 NOK 142

$5.92 ฿199

148.48%

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

$312 NOK 3,006

$309 ฿10.4K

1.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 96.9K

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-32.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 NOK 496

$55.8 ฿1,872

-7.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.93 NOK 288

$26.11 ฿877

14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 NOK 670

$83.0 ฿2,787

-16.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 992

$70.5 ฿2,365

46.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NOK 11.8K

$432 ฿14.5K

184.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 NOK 8,519

$239 ฿8,020

270.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,856 NOK 17.9K

$822 ฿27.6K

125.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 NOK 14.6K

$512 ฿17.2K

195.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

-24.00%

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

Last update for Porsgrunn: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,228 in Porsgrunn versus $432 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 $101 in Porsgrunn versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $243 – 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

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

Porsgrunn costs about 167% 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 $3,448 per month in Porsgrunn and $1,292 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 $312 per month in Porsgrunn and $309 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Porsgrunn, 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 $861, than in Porsgrunn at $2,299. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porsgrunn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $861 versus $2,299 in Porsgrunn. 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, Porsgrunn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.