Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Solna and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,760 in Solna, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Solna
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Solna Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Solna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,760

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,760 per month in Solna vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Solna $1,760
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Solna vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Solna $2,721
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,682 per month in Solna vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Solna $3,682
Chiang Mai $1,914

Solna costs about 88% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.11 SEK 140

$2.26 ฿75.4

524.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 SEK 653

$19.18 ฿641

243.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 SEK 111

$5.59 ฿187

100.18%

Cappuccino

$4.74 SEK 46.94

$1.72 ฿57.6

175.58%

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

$2.26 SEK 22.44

$0.64 ฿21.54

253.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 SEK 14.10

$0.33 ฿11.18

330.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 SEK 74.1

$2.36 ฿78.7

216.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 72.5

$3.90 ฿130

87.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 SEK 13.71

$2.05 ฿68.6

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 SEK 25.13

$1.40 ฿46.70

81.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.82

$1.28 ฿42.89

174.22%

Eggs

$3.88 SEK 38.47

$2.25 ฿75.3

72.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 SEK 90.2

$16.94 ฿566

-46.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 SEK 126

$2.74 ฿91.6

365.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 SEK 218

$9.36 ฿313

134.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.53

$2.40 ฿80.3

32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 SEK 20.08

$1.01 ฿33.92

100.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.29

$1.61 ฿53.9

52.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.93

$1.52 ฿50.7

92.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.54

$1.28 ฿42.90

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.49

$1.11 ฿37.22

68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 SEK 20.94

$0.72 ฿24.09

193.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 10.09

$0.52 ฿17.54

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 73.1

$4.33 ฿145

70.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.19 SEK 131

$17.73 ฿593

-25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SEK 13.57

$1.63 ฿54.4

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.82

$2.85 ฿95.3

-22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 SEK 41.30

$0.85 ฿28.31

390.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 SEK 948

$53.9 ฿1,801

77.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 SEK 35.24

$1.17 ฿39.18

204.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 SEK 24.83

$0.57 ฿19.00

340.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.4 SEK 796

$2.37 ฿79.2

3290.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.87

$1.45 ฿48.32

24.14%

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

$33.4K SEK 330.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

62.89%

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

$32.4K SEK 320.9K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

22.15%

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

$103 SEK 1,022

$62.3 ฿2,083

65.47%

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

$22.72 SEK 225

$12.27 ฿410

85.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 400

$19.97 ฿668

102.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 SEK 375

$37.91 ฿1,267

-0.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.05 SEK 258

$3.76 ฿126

592.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 SEK 145

$6.71 ฿224

118.63%

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

$152 SEK 1,505

$797 ฿26.6K

-80.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,015 SEK 49.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-66.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,039

$53.3 ฿1,780

96.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 SEK 400

$25.05 ฿837

61.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 SEK 860

$91.6 ฿3,062

-5.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,334

$73.5 ฿2,455

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,869

$464 ฿15.5K

71.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 SEK 6,132

$305 ฿10.2K

103.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 SEK 13.4K

$915 ฿30.6K

47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 SEK 10.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

86.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,838 SEK 67.7K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

257.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,815 SEK 27.9K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

95.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,500 SEK 34.7K

$595 ฿19.9K

488.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

5.57

-36.62%

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

Last update for Solna: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Solna

$619 35.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 50.8% $314

Groceries & Markets

Solna

$345 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 31% $107

Eating Out

Solna

$270 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 70.7% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solna

$166 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 43.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Solna

$165 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 33.6% $55

Getting Around

Solna

$128 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 52.3% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Solna

$67 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 23.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $794 in Solna 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 488% higher in Solna, 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 $66.0 in Solna versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Solna

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

5 h ahead of Solna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,540

127,240

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 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 SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Solna Chiang Mai 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Solna
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

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

Solna costs about 88% 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 $2,641 per month in Solna 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 $152 per month in Solna 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 45% more in Solna, 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 Solna at $1,760. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Solna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,760 in Solna. 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, Solna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.