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 $1,072 per month in Békéscsaba vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in Békéscsaba vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,101 per month in Békéscsaba vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Békéscsaba costs about 24% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Békéscsaba and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Békéscsaba 20% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.78 Ft 1,782

$1.94 ฿63.8

197.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.94 Ft 12.6K

$18.64 ฿611

119.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 Ft 2,624

$7.82 ฿256

8.82%

Cappuccino

$1.98 Ft 611

$1.95 ฿64.1

1.54%

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

$0.83 Ft 257

$0.85 ฿27.90

-2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 Ft 260

$0.35 ฿11.64

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 Ft 571

$2.13 ฿69.9

-13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 Ft 360

$3.73 ฿122

-68.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 Ft 313

$1.71 ฿56.2

-40.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 Ft 431

$1.63 ฿53.4

-14.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 Ft 524

$1.14 ฿37.32

49.12%

Eggs

$2.70 Ft 832

$1.93 ฿63.4

39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 Ft 2,700

$16.21 ฿532

-45.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 Ft 1,902

$3.12 ฿102

97.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 Ft 3,812

$10.90 ฿357

13.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 Ft 440

$2.75 ฿90.4

-48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 Ft 608

$1.21 ฿39.70

62.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 Ft 432

$1.62 ฿53.2

-13.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 Ft 545

$1.59 ฿52.1

11.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 315

$1.40 ฿45.91

-27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 363

$1.17 ฿38.34

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 Ft 186

$0.66 ฿21.70

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Ft 172

$0.53 ฿17.30

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 Ft 2,137

$4.69 ฿154

47.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.18 Ft 979

$18.66 ฿612

-82.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 217

$1.80 ฿59.0

-61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 Ft 262

$3.23 ฿106

-73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 Ft 345

$0.90 ฿29.39

24.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.89 Ft 7,673

$19.21 ฿630

29.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 Ft 817

$1.41 ฿46.13

87.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 Ft 347

$1.29 ฿42.31

-12.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Ft 1,763

$7.84 ฿257

-27.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 Ft 520

$1.27 ฿41.77

33.07%

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

$24.8K Ft 7.6M

$21.3K ฿698.1K

16.49%

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

$33.9K Ft 10.5M

$22.2K ฿728.8K

52.76%

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

$173 Ft 53.3K

$69.1 ฿2,266

150.34%

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

$26.88 Ft 8,288

$14.08 ฿462

90.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.98 Ft 6,161

$18.00 ฿591

11.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.42 Ft 14.3K

$41.06 ฿1,347

13.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.01 Ft 5,245

$6.96 ฿228

144.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 Ft 2,262

$5.92 ฿194

23.99%

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

$336 Ft 103.6K

$299 ฿9,811

12.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,470 Ft 1.1M

$15.0K ฿490.6K

-76.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 Ft 16.9K

$54.7 ฿1,795

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.50 Ft 8,478

$26.77 ฿878

2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 Ft 19.6K

$85.0 ฿2,788

-25.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 Ft 20.8K

$70.6 ฿2,316

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 Ft 140.2K

$428 ฿14.0K

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 Ft 107.2K

$237 ฿7,787

46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 Ft 193.3K

$801 ฿26.3K

-21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 Ft 166.7K

$515 ฿16.9K

4.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,625 Ft 501.0K

$1,975 ฿64.8K

-17.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,243 Ft 383.2K

$1,475 ฿48.4K

-15.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,453 Ft 448.0K

$617 ฿20.3K

135.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

50.00%

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

Last update for Békéscsaba: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Békéscsaba versus $428 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 135% 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 $41.00 in Békéscsaba versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Békéscsaba vs $246 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 24% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,608 per month in Békéscsaba and $1,300 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Békéscsaba – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Békéscsaba and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,072 in Békéscsaba and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $1,072 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.