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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,741 per month in Stavanger vs $845 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,135 per month in Stavanger vs $1,323 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,530 per month in Stavanger vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 224% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Stavanger sits 105% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 NOK 234

$1.95 ฿62.8

1190.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$18.43 ฿594

557.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 NOK 140

$7.50 ฿241

100.93%

Cappuccino

$4.98 NOK 46.28

$1.93 ฿62.3

158.03%

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

$4.03 NOK 37.46

$0.78 ฿25.08

416.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.18

$0.32 ฿10.42

946.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.18 NOK 104

$2.15 ฿69.2

420.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 95.2

$3.71 ฿120

175.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.02

$1.71 ฿55.2

38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$1.56 ฿50.3

94.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 NOK 41.64

$1.18 ฿38.06

279.66%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 40.46

$1.98 ฿63.9

119.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 NOK 123

$16.04 ฿517

-17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.31 NOK 152

$3.17 ฿102

414.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.77 NOK 258

$10.94 ฿353

153.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.92

$2.63 ฿84.7

34.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$1.17 ฿37.61

123.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.90

$1.65 ฿53.0

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 43.33

$1.54 ฿49.51

202.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$1.38 ฿44.34

53.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.59

$1.17 ฿37.54

153.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$0.66 ฿21.25

278.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.39

$0.51 ฿16.55

245.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 139

$4.52 ฿146

231.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$18.32 ฿590

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.68

$1.80 ฿57.9

101.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.00

$3.18 ฿102

25.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 41.34

$0.90 ฿28.97

394.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 NOK 630

$19.00 ฿612

256.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 NOK 141

$1.41 ฿45.50

972.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.31 ฿42.15

65.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 942

$8.09 ฿261

1152.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.91

$1.28 ฿41.08

67.19%

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

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

$21.3K ฿686.1K

60.45%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

$21.7K ฿699.3K

50.11%

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

$193 NOK 1,796

$69.2 ฿2,230

179.05%

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

$42.05 NOK 391

$13.97 ฿450

201.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 NOK 768

$17.95 ฿578

360.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 NOK 527

$42.31 ฿1,363

33.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.06 NOK 335

$6.66 ฿214

441.44%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 182

$5.92 ฿191

230.57%

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

$322 NOK 2,992

$299 ฿9,640

7.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

$14.8K ฿478.4K

-11.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,116

$56.2 ฿1,810

113.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 556

$26.94 ฿868

121.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$84.9 ฿2,735

23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,473

$71.8 ฿2,314

120.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

$435 ฿14.0K

276.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

$240 ฿7,727

375.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

$798 ฿25.7K

246.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

$498 ฿16.1K

259.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

$1,995 ฿64.3K

198.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

$1,532 ฿49.4K

248.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

$628 ฿20.2K

683.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

-9.80%

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

Last update for Stavanger: April 21, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,639 in Stavanger versus $435 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 684% higher in Stavanger, 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 $121 in Stavanger versus $18 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $244 – 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

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

Stavanger costs about 224% 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 $4,111 per month in Stavanger and $1,267 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 $322 per month in Stavanger and $299 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Stavanger, 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 $845, than in Stavanger at $2,741. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $845 versus $2,741 in Stavanger. 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, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.