Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,062 in Salo, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Salo despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in Salo
Learn more

Salo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Salo

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,062

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,062 per month in Salo vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salo $1,062
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,823 per month in Salo vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salo $1,823
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,583 per month in Salo vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Salo $2,583
Chiang Mai $1,979

Salo costs about 13% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Salo 22% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.76 €14.15

$2.24 ฿75.7

603.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.9 €80.8

$19.00 ฿642

373.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.73

$5.55 ฿188

115.32%

Cappuccino

$5.29 €4.75

$1.67 ฿56.6

216.77%

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

$2.96 €2.66

$0.64 ฿21.56

362.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.76

$0.31 ฿10.32

529.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 €3.50

$2.36 ฿79.6

64.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 €7.99

$3.66 ฿124

143.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.95 ฿65.8

-44.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.45

$1.44 ฿48.51

89.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.15

$1.33 ฿45.07

79.70%

Eggs

$3.21 €2.89

$2.28 ฿77.1

40.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 €7.84

$16.45 ฿556

-46.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 €12.84

$2.78 ฿94.0

414.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.38 €19.21

$9.31 ฿314

129.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.11

$2.35 ฿79.5

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.87

$0.97 ฿32.82

115.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.60 ฿53.9

58.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 €3.44

$1.50 ฿50.7

155.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.28 ฿43.15

-1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.10 ฿37.22

69.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 €2.63

$0.71 ฿23.84

311.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$0.49 ฿16.38

308.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 €10.27

$4.14 ฿140

176.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.06 €14.43

$17.52 ฿592

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.79

$1.61 ฿54.5

93.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €3.03

$2.78 ฿94.0

21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 €3.88

$1.16 ฿39.08

272.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.21

$0.53 ฿17.82

152.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.6 €59.0

$2.42 ฿81.8

2612.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.93

$1.45 ฿48.93

48.28%

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

$36.1K €32.4K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

71.38%

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

$37.0K €33.3K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

37.44%

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

$130 €117

$62.2 ฿2,100

109.17%

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

$24.43 €21.94

$12.17 ฿411

100.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.07 €21.62

$20.12 ฿680

19.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 €19.17

$3.77 ฿127

466.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.75 €15.94

$6.49 ฿219

173.50%

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

$326 €293

$736 ฿24.9K

-55.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €86.8

$53.4 ฿1,802

80.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 €43.50

$24.64 ฿832

96.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €91.0

$91.5 ฿3,089

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €140

$71.9 ฿2,429

116.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €751

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-16.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 €1,209

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-15.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,575 €2,313

$590 ฿19.9K

336.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

5.57

-36.98%

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

Last update for Salo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Salo

$373 35.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 37.2% $139

Eating Out

Salo

$282 26.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.5% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Salo

$181 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 40% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salo

$179 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 47.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Salo

$36 * 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 41.6% $15

Getting Around

Salo

$11 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 456% $50

Accommodation & Living

Salo

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Salo are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Salo versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Salo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

5 h ahead of Salo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,097

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salo Chiang Mai 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Salo
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

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

Salo costs about 13% 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 $1,593 per month in Salo and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Salo and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Salo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,062 in Salo 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 $1,062 in Salo. 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, Salo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.