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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,163 per month in Békéscsaba vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,704 per month in Békéscsaba vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,245 per month in Békéscsaba vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Békéscsaba costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Békéscsaba and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Békéscsaba 15% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.81 Ft 3,056

$2.08 ฿68.6

371.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.43 Ft 14.2K

$19.64 ฿646

131.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 Ft 1,824

$5.65 ฿186

3.54%

Cappuccino

$2.21 Ft 689

$1.81 ฿59.4

22.10%

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

$1.45 Ft 453

$0.71 ฿23.46

104.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 Ft 292

$0.32 ฿10.39

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 Ft 342

$2.24 ฿73.6

-50.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 400

$3.63 ฿120

-64.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 Ft 387

$1.96 ฿64.4

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 Ft 491

$1.50 ฿49.42

5.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 Ft 699

$1.34 ฿43.96

67.16%

Eggs

$3.44 Ft 1,073

$2.26 ฿74.5

52.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 Ft 3,151

$16.26 ฿535

-37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 Ft 2,188

$2.95 ฿97.2

137.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 Ft 4,681

$9.94 ฿327

51.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 648

$2.57 ฿84.6

-19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 Ft 705

$1.06 ฿34.75

113.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 Ft 509

$1.61 ฿53.0

1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 Ft 899

$1.52 ฿50.0

89.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 320

$1.27 ฿41.80

-18.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 Ft 306

$1.07 ฿35.09

-8.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 Ft 336

$0.72 ฿23.70

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 168

$0.51 ฿16.73

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.45 Ft 2,634

$4.19 ฿138

101.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.16 Ft 984

$17.87 ฿588

-82.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 Ft 321

$1.69 ฿55.7

-39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 Ft 663

$2.84 ฿93.3

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Ft 400

$0.93 ฿30.45

37.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 Ft 886

$1.23 ฿40.61

130.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 Ft 432

$0.58 ฿18.97

139.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 Ft 2,020

$2.42 ฿79.8

167.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 Ft 603

$1.41 ฿46.46

37.59%

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

$31.4K Ft 9.8M

$21.4K ฿705.5K

46.57%

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

$35.9K Ft 11.2M

$27.3K ฿899.3K

31.38%

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

$173 Ft 54.1K

$63.7 ฿2,095

172.42%

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

$26.21 Ft 8,169

$12.85 ฿423

103.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.64 Ft 7,057

$20.22 ฿665

11.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.28 Ft 11.0K

$38.74 ฿1,275

-8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 Ft 3,063

$6.74 ฿222

45.85%

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

$558 Ft 174.0K

$778 ฿25.6K

-28.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K Ft 5.3M

$14.6K ฿480.7K

16.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 Ft 34.3K

$54.3 ฿1,786

102.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.77 Ft 9,902

$25.45 ฿837

24.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 Ft 19.8K

$94.3 ฿3,104

-32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 Ft 37.6K

$73.4 ฿2,416

64.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 Ft 134.6K

$490 ฿16.1K

-11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 Ft 110.2K

$289 ฿9,518

22.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 Ft 178.8K

$894 ฿29.4K

-35.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 Ft 139.4K

$517 ฿17.0K

-13.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,591 Ft 495.9K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

-18.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,221 Ft 380.7K

$1,477 ฿48.6K

-17.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,430 Ft 445.7K

$602 ฿19.8K

137.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.57

19.93%

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

Last update for Békéscsaba: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Békéscsaba versus $490 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 137% higher in Békéscsaba, 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 $45.00 in Békéscsaba versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Békéscsaba vs $240 in Chiang Mai – so Békéscsaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Békéscsaba costs about 23% 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 $1,744 per month in Békéscsaba and $1,421 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Békéscsaba and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Békéscsaba – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Békéscsaba at $1,163. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Békéscsaba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $1,163 in Békéscsaba. 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, Békéscsaba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.