Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,027 in Trondheim, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Trondheim
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Trondheim Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Trondheim

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,027

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,027 per month in Trondheim vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Trondheim $3,027
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,390 per month in Trondheim vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Trondheim $4,390
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $5,752 per month in Trondheim vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Trondheim $5,752
Chiang Mai $1,979

Trondheim costs about 224% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Trondheim sits 122% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.10 NOK 196

$2.24 ฿75.7

841.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,008

$19.00 ฿642

470.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.26 NOK 151

$5.55 ฿188

192.97%

Cappuccino

$5.58 NOK 51.9

$1.67 ฿56.6

234.13%

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

$5.90 NOK 54.8

$0.64 ฿21.56

821.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 NOK 40.84

$0.31 ฿10.32

1319.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.21 NOK 123

$2.36 ฿79.6

459.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.16 NOK 122

$3.66 ฿124

259.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 NOK 23.38

$1.95 ฿65.8

29.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 NOK 32.95

$1.44 ฿48.51

146.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 NOK 35.60

$1.33 ฿45.07

187.97%

Eggs

$5.01 NOK 46.50

$2.28 ฿77.1

119.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.20 NOK 123

$16.45 ฿556

-19.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.00 NOK 158

$2.78 ฿94.0

511.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.32 NOK 300

$9.31 ฿314

247.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 NOK 37.25

$2.35 ฿79.5

70.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.36

$0.97 ฿32.82

214.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 35.97

$1.60 ฿53.9

141.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 NOK 52.0

$1.50 ฿50.7

273.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.67

$1.28 ฿43.15

132.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$1.10 ฿37.22

175.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 NOK 27.66

$0.71 ฿23.84

319.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 21.88

$0.49 ฿16.38

379.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.01 NOK 167

$4.14 ฿140

335.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.61 NOK 173

$17.52 ฿592

6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.18

$1.61 ฿54.5

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.06

$2.78 ฿94.0

62.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 NOK 45.11

$0.87 ฿29.33

458.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NOK 950

$54.1 ฿1,827

89.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.63 NOK 89.5

$1.16 ฿39.08

730.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NOK 15.26

$0.53 ฿17.82

209.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 NOK 574

$2.42 ฿81.8

2450.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 NOK 23.60

$1.45 ฿48.93

75.17%

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

$46.3K NOK 430.4K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

119.97%

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

$46.2K NOK 428.9K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

71.37%

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

$281 NOK 2,609

$62.2 ฿2,100

351.62%

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

$36.31 NOK 337

$12.17 ฿411

198.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 789

$20.12 ฿680

322.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.31 NOK 421

$37.31 ฿1,260

21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.99 NOK 381

$3.77 ฿127

987.27%

Cinema Ticket

$19.70 NOK 183

$6.49 ฿219

203.54%

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

$305 NOK 2,829

$736 ฿24.9K

-58.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,591 NOK 42.7K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-68.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NOK 1,009

$53.4 ฿1,802

103.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 NOK 477

$24.64 ฿832

108.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,124

$91.5 ฿3,089

32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,472

$71.9 ฿2,429

120.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 NOK 15.2K

$482 ฿16.3K

239.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 NOK 11.8K

$309 ฿10.4K

309.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 NOK 21.6K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

130.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 NOK 16.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

186.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,610 NOK 61.4K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

179.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,997 NOK 46.4K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

214.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,392 NOK 40.8K

$590 ฿19.9K

644.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.57

-4.49%

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

Last update for Trondheim: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Trondheim

$1.3K 41.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.6% $957

Groceries & Markets

Trondheim

$519 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 54.9% $285

Eating Out

Trondheim

$418 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 81.4% $341

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trondheim

$402 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 76.5% $308

Clothing & Footwear

Trondheim

$198 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 45.1% $89

Getting Around

Trondheim

$140 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 56% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Trondheim

$85 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 40.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,635 in Trondheim versus $482 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 Trondheim are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Trondheim versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Trondheim

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

03:36 3:36 AM

6 h ahead of Trondheim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,121

127,240

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Trondheim Chiang Mai 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Trondheim
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

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

Trondheim costs about 224% 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 $4,541 per month in Trondheim 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 $482 there versus $1,635 in Trondheim.

Kindergarten costs $305 per month in Trondheim and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Trondheim, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,027 in Trondheim and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $3,027 in Trondheim. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Trondheim makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.