Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,336 in Skien, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,336 per month in Skien vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skien $2,336
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,267 per month in Skien vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skien $3,267
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,197 per month in Skien vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skien $4,197
Chiang Mai $1,914

Skien costs about 149% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Skien sits 73% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$2.26 ฿75.4

838.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$19.18 ฿641

437.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$5.59 ฿187

176.74%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$1.72 ฿57.6

197.09%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$0.64 ฿21.54

581.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$0.33 ฿11.18

800.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$2.36 ฿78.7

403.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$3.90 ฿130

216.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$2.05 ฿68.6

2.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$1.40 ฿46.70

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$1.28 ฿42.89

257.03%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$2.25 ฿75.3

151.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$16.94 ฿566

-22.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$2.74 ฿91.6

453.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$9.36 ฿313

132.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$2.40 ฿80.3

39.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$1.01 ฿33.92

167.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$1.61 ฿53.9

116.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$1.52 ฿50.7

291.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$1.28 ฿42.90

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$1.11 ฿37.22

150.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$0.72 ฿24.09

322.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$0.52 ฿17.54

376.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$4.33 ฿145

339.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$17.73 ฿593

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$1.63 ฿54.4

105.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$2.85 ฿95.3

51.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$0.85 ฿28.31

283.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$53.9 ฿1,801

-11.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$1.17 ฿39.18

851.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$0.57 ฿19.00

217.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$2.37 ฿79.2

2887.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$1.45 ฿48.32

56.55%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

132.05%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

63.53%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$62.3 ฿2,083

50.59%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$12.27 ฿410

176.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$19.97 ฿668

168.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$37.91 ฿1,267

13.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$6.71 ฿224

127.87%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$797 ฿26.6K

-70.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

6.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$53.3 ฿1,780

19.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$25.05 ฿837

140.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$91.6 ฿3,062

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$73.5 ฿2,455

108.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$464 ฿15.5K

124.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$305 ฿10.2K

220.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$915 ฿30.6K

13.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$552 ฿18.5K

70.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

77.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

118.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$595 ฿19.9K

611.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.57

-21.54%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skien

$975 41.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 68.8% $671

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 49.3% $232

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 79.8% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 47.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 33.3% $55

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 24.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 30.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,042 in Skien versus $464 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 612% higher in Skien, 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 $103 in Skien versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

5 h ahead of Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

127,240

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Skien Chiang Mai 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Skien
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

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

Skien costs about 149% 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 $3,504 per month in Skien and $1,408 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 $239 per month in Skien and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Skien, 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 $938, than in Skien at $2,336. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skien it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,336 in Skien. 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, Skien makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.