Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,574 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
Learn more

Stockholm Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,574

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,574 per month in Stockholm vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stockholm $2,574
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,871 per month in Stockholm vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stockholm $3,871
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $5,167 per month in Stockholm vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stockholm $5,167
Chiang Mai $1,914

Stockholm costs about 174% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Stockholm sits 91% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 SEK 180

$2.26 ฿75.4

701.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 SEK 986

$19.18 ฿641

419.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 117

$5.59 ฿187

110.38%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 49.03

$1.72 ฿57.6

187.79%

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

$3.68 SEK 36.46

$0.64 ฿21.54

475.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 SEK 31.28

$0.33 ฿11.18

857.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 SEK 79.8

$2.36 ฿78.7

241.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 SEK 87.4

$3.90 ฿130

126.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$2.05 ฿68.6

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 SEK 38.43

$1.40 ฿46.70

177.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.99

$1.28 ฿42.89

199.22%

Eggs

$5.14 SEK 50.9

$2.25 ฿75.3

128.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 SEK 123

$16.94 ฿566

-26.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 125

$2.74 ฿91.6

360.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 SEK 217

$9.36 ฿313

133.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 34.41

$2.40 ฿80.3

44.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 27.15

$1.01 ฿33.92

171.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.54

$1.61 ฿53.9

91.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 44.41

$1.52 ฿50.7

194.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.54

$1.28 ฿42.90

38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.70

$1.11 ฿37.22

61.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 SEK 23.76

$0.72 ฿24.09

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.50

$0.52 ฿17.54

355.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.72 SEK 86.4

$4.33 ฿145

101.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 SEK 119

$17.73 ฿593

-32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.90

$1.63 ฿54.4

29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 25.34

$2.85 ฿95.3

-10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.96

$0.85 ฿28.31

410.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,063

$53.9 ฿1,801

98.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 SEK 56.9

$1.17 ฿39.18

390.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 SEK 14.58

$0.57 ฿19.00

157.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 566

$2.37 ฿79.2

2310.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.86

$1.45 ฿48.32

24.14%

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

$32.4K SEK 321.2K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

58.31%

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

$33.6K SEK 332.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

26.68%

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

$249 SEK 2,469

$62.3 ฿2,083

299.74%

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

$21.60 SEK 214

$12.27 ฿410

76.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 SEK 398

$19.97 ฿668

101.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 SEK 466

$37.91 ฿1,267

23.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.15 SEK 378

$3.76 ฿126

914.63%

Cinema Ticket

$19.09 SEK 189

$6.71 ฿224

184.50%

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

$158 SEK 1,569

$797 ฿26.6K

-80.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K SEK 162.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

10.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,104

$53.3 ฿1,780

109.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SEK 584

$25.05 ฿837

135.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,364

$91.6 ฿3,062

50.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 SEK 1,847

$73.5 ฿2,455

153.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 SEK 16.4K

$464 ฿15.5K

257.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$305 ฿10.2K

254.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,982 SEK 29.5K

$915 ฿30.6K

225.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 SEK 17.3K

$552 ฿18.5K

216.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K SEK 111.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

490.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,332 SEK 62.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

340.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 SEK 35.5K

$595 ฿19.9K

502.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

5.57

-39.50%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1.1K 41.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 71.8% $774

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$414 16.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 42.5% $176

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 75.7% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$311 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 69.6% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$222 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 50.8% $113

Getting Around

Stockholm

$138 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 55.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$85 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 39.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,658 in Stockholm 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 502% higher in Stockholm, 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 $100 in Stockholm versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

14:23 2:23 PM

5 h ahead of Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Stockholm
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

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

Stockholm costs about 174% 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 $3,861 per month in Stockholm 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 $158 per month in Stockholm 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 74% more in Stockholm, 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 Stockholm at $2,574. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,574 in Stockholm. 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, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.