Cost of Living · SE vs TH
🇸🇪 Stockholm vs 🇹🇭 Chiang Mai: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,862 in Sweden vs $706 in Thailand — 62.1% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Thailand
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -67.23%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -67.23%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -67.23%
Closest to Sweden prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -26.44%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -27.29%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -27.29%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Sweden | Thailand | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,307 | $428 (14,089 THB) | -67.23% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,046 | $343 (11,271 THB) | -67.23% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,391 | $783 (25,763 THB) | -67.23% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.31 | $5.96 (196 THB) | -58.35% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $59.64 | $24.83 (816 THB) | -58.37% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $8.93 | $4.03 (133 THB) | -54.87% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.93 | $0.49 (16 THB) | -47.31% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.71 | $1.43 (47 THB) | -47.23% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.88 | $1.52 (50 THB) | -47.22% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.47 | $4.47 (147 THB) | -47.23% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.39 | $1.79 (59 THB) | -47.2% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.06 | $2.15 (71 THB) | -47.04% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $10.16 | $5.37 (177 THB) | -47.15% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.69 | $0.89 (29 THB) | -47.34% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.77 | $1.99 (65 THB) | -58.28% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.36 | $5.35 (176 THB) | -27.31% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.98 | $1.66 (55 THB) | -58.29% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.95 | $1.03 (34 THB) | -47.18% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $52.78 | $23.79 (782 THB) | -54.93% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.23 | $1.01 (33 THB) | -54.71% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.18 | $1.32 (43 THB) | -58.49% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.43 | $0.60 (20 THB) | -58.04% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.87 | $0.64 (21 THB) | -26.44% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $162 | $73.20 (2,407 THB) | -54.93% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $56.84 | $25.62 (842 THB) | -54.93% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $36.54 | $16.47 (542 THB) | -54.93% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $39.76 | $16.55 (544 THB) | -58.38% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $11.13 | $4.63 (152 THB) | -58.4% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $23.86 | $9.93 (327 THB) | -58.38% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $50.60 | $36.79 (1,210 THB) | -27.29% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $82.81 | $60.21 (1,980 THB) | -27.29% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $199 | $82.75 (2,721 THB) | -58.38% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Thailand than Sweden?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $706 in Thailand versus $1,862 in Sweden — 62.1% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Thailand?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $1.99 in Thailand (≈ 65.44 THB), versus about $4.77 in Sweden.
- How much is rent in Thailand compared to Sweden?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $428/month in Thailand versus $1,307/month in Sweden (-67.23%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.