Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skovde and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,775 in Skovde, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Skovde
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Skovde Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Skovde

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,775

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Skovde vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skovde $1,775
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,790 per month in Skovde vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skovde $2,790
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,805 per month in Skovde vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skovde $3,805
Chiang Mai $1,999

Skovde costs about 90% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 SEK 130

$2.13 ฿71.6

517.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 SEK 808

$18.62 ฿624

339.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 SEK 103

$5.60 ฿188

85.71%

Cappuccino

$4.19 SEK 41.37

$1.66 ฿55.8

152.41%

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

$3.07 SEK 30.29

$0.65 ฿21.69

372.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 24.01

$0.30 ฿10.22

710.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 SEK 78.5

$2.32 ฿77.9

243.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.36 SEK 102

$3.67 ฿123

182.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SEK 14.34

$2.02 ฿67.6

-28.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 SEK 28.40

$1.41 ฿47.21

104.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 46.34

$1.39 ฿46.67

238.13%

Eggs

$3.71 SEK 36.60

$2.37 ฿79.4

56.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 SEK 100

$16.52 ฿554

-38.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.29 SEK 131

$2.67 ฿89.5

397.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.99 SEK 178

$9.02 ฿302

99.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.71

$2.40 ฿80.4

25.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 26.89

$1.04 ฿34.91

161.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 36.26

$1.66 ฿55.6

121.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 SEK 51.4

$1.56 ฿52.3

233.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 15.26

$1.24 ฿41.50

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.67

$1.09 ฿36.44

64.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 26.77

$0.76 ฿25.54

256.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SEK 13.50

$0.51 ฿17.24

168.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 SEK 80.7

$4.12 ฿138

98.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 SEK 79.3

$17.93 ฿601

-55.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 24.70

$1.62 ฿54.4

54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 24.55

$2.82 ฿94.6

-11.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 SEK 35.86

$0.93 ฿31.33

290.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 SEK 833

$52.9 ฿1,773

59.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 SEK 55.9

$1.18 ฿39.45

380.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 SEK 13.40

$0.17 ฿5.75

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.8 SEK 619

$1.81 ฿60.8

3366.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.92

$1.47 ฿49.38

23.81%

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

$33.5K SEK 330.8K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

59.52%

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

$33.6K SEK 331.9K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

26.84%

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

$111 SEK 1,096

$62.6 ฿2,098

77.56%

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

$11.29 SEK 111

$11.60 ฿389

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.74 SEK 481

$20.30 ฿681

140.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.43 SEK 369

$37.88 ฿1,270

-1.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 SEK 241

$3.70 ฿124

560.81%

Cinema Ticket

$18.03 SEK 178

$6.51 ฿218

176.96%

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

$130 SEK 1,283

$727 ฿24.4K

-82.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,246 SEK 51.8K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-68.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,044

$53.5 ฿1,795

97.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 SEK 301

$24.80 ฿832

22.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 SEK 594

$90.4 ฿3,031

-33.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 SEK 1,984

$72.0 ฿2,413

179.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SEK 8,221

$481 ฿16.1K

73.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 SEK 5,941

$310 ฿10.4K

94.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 SEK 13.9K

$1,058 ฿35.5K

32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 SEK 10.2K

$659 ฿22.1K

56.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,035 SEK 39.8K

$2,418 ฿81.1K

66.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 SEK 28.6K

$1,609 ฿53.9K

80.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,431 SEK 33.9K

$595 ฿19.9K

476.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Skovde: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Skovde

$602 33.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 48.5% $292

Groceries & Markets

Skovde

$369 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 35.9% $132

Eating Out

Skovde

$269 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 71.6% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Skovde

$179 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 39.4% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skovde

$171 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 44.8% $77

Getting Around

Skovde

$111 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 47.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Skovde

$73 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 30.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $833 in Skovde versus $481 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 Skovde are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Skovde versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Skovde

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

6 h ahead of Skovde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,466

127,240

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.13 USD

100 SEK = 9.02 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.87 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.02 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Skovde Chiang Mai 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Skovde
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

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

Skovde costs about 90% 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 $2,663 per month in Skovde and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $833 in Skovde.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Skovde and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Skovde, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,775 in Skovde and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,775 in Skovde. 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, Skovde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.