Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biala Podlaska and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,282 in Biala Podlaska, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Biala Podlaska
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Biala Podlaska Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Biala Podlaska

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,282

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,282 in Biala Podlaska versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Biala Podlaska $1,282
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,893 in Biala Podlaska versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Biala Podlaska $1,893
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,504 in Biala Podlaska versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Biala Podlaska $2,504
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Biala Podlaska is roughly 37% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Biala Podlaska 5% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 zł 29.37

$2.13 ฿71.8

252.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.44 zł 79.9

$18.62 ฿626

9.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 zł 35.45

$5.60 ฿188

61.96%

Cappuccino

$3.46 zł 13.53

$1.66 ฿55.9

108.43%

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

$2.77 zł 10.81

$0.65 ฿21.75

326.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 zł 10.83

$0.30 ฿10.25

823.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 zł 17.98

$2.32 ฿78.1

98.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 zł 19.89

$3.67 ฿123

38.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 zł 3.72

$2.02 ฿67.8

-52.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 zł 4.30

$1.41 ฿47.34

-21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 zł 5.39

$1.39 ฿46.79

-0.72%

Eggs

$3.32 zł 12.96

$2.37 ฿79.6

40.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 zł 40.72

$16.52 ฿555

-36.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 zł 26.49

$2.67 ฿89.8

153.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 zł 44.80

$9.02 ฿303

27.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.62

$2.40 ฿80.6

-50.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.43

$1.04 ฿35.01

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 zł 9.05

$1.66 ฿55.8

39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 zł 11.67

$1.56 ฿52.4

91.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 zł 3.02

$1.24 ฿41.61

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 zł 3.58

$1.09 ฿36.53

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 zł 5.22

$0.76 ฿25.61

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 zł 2.25

$0.51 ฿17.29

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 zł 21.74

$4.12 ฿139

34.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 zł 25.64

$17.93 ฿603

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.30

$1.62 ฿54.6

-32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 zł 6.82

$2.82 ฿94.9

-37.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 zł 4.07

$0.93 ฿31.42

11.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.54 zł 115

$52.9 ฿1,778

-44.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 zł 7.18

$1.18 ฿39.56

55.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 zł 2.65

$0.17 ฿5.76

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 zł 36.10

$1.81 ฿60.9

410.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 zł 5.92

$1.47 ฿49.51

2.72%

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

$30.6K zł 119.6K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

45.64%

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

$27.9K zł 108.9K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

5.09%

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

$191 zł 746

$62.6 ฿2,103

205.05%

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

$8.72 zł 34.10

$11.60 ฿390

-24.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.70 zł 49.64

$20.30 ฿683

-37.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.86 zł 152

$37.88 ฿1,274

2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.46 zł 80.0

$3.70 ฿124

452.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 zł 19.99

$6.51 ฿219

-21.35%

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

$507 zł 1,979

$727 ฿24.4K

-30.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K zł 53.1K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-18.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 zł 286

$53.5 ฿1,800

36.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 zł 156

$24.80 ฿834

61.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 zł 343

$90.4 ฿3,039

-2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 zł 379

$72.0 ฿2,420

34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$649 zł 2,535

$481 ฿16.2K

34.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 zł 1,742

$310 ฿10.4K

43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 zł 4,291

$1,058 ฿35.6K

3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 zł 3,202

$659 ฿22.1K

24.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,947 zł 11.5K

$2,418 ฿81.3K

21.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,216 zł 8,660

$1,609 ฿54.1K

37.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,025 zł 4,005

$595 ฿20.0K

72.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

5.57

23.34%

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

Last update for Biala Podlaska: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Biala Podlaska

$446 34.8%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 30.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Biala Podlaska

$217 17%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 8.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biala Podlaska

$212 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 55.5% $118

Eating Out

Biala Podlaska

$184 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 58.4% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Biala Podlaska

$134 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 19.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Biala Podlaska

$49 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 3.7% $1.8

Getting Around

Biala Podlaska

$39 3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 50.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $649 in Biala Podlaska and $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biala Podlaska pays 72% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Biala Podlaska vs $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $237, with Biala Podlaska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Biala Podlaska

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

06:12 6:12 AM

6 h ahead of Biala Podlaska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,760

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Biala Podlaska Chiang Mai 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Biala Podlaska
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

Biala Podlaska vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,282 in Biala Podlaska and $935 in Chiang Mai, so Chiang Mai is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Biala Podlaska, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $649 in Biala Podlaska versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $507 in Biala Podlaska versus $727 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Biala Podlaska pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Biala Podlaska on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.