Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bielsko-biala and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,480 in Bielsko-biala, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Bielsko-biala
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Bielsko-biala Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bielsko-biala

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,480

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,480 in Bielsko-biala versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Bielsko-biala $1,480
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Bielsko-biala versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Bielsko-biala $2,131
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,782 in Bielsko-biala versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Bielsko-biala $2,782
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Bielsko-biala is roughly 58% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bielsko-biala is 10% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.45 zł 36.70

$2.26 ฿75.4

318.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.98 zł 179

$19.18 ฿641

139.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 zł 34.76

$5.59 ฿187

60.11%

Cappuccino

$3.61 zł 14.03

$1.72 ฿57.6

109.88%

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

$2.21 zł 8.60

$0.64 ฿21.54

245.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 zł 5.27

$0.33 ฿11.18

312.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 zł 14.66

$2.36 ฿78.7

59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 zł 14.73

$3.90 ฿130

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 zł 4.03

$2.05 ฿68.6

-49.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 zł 4.30

$1.40 ฿46.70

-20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 zł 5.40

$1.28 ฿42.89

8.59%

Eggs

$2.87 zł 11.16

$2.25 ฿75.3

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 zł 31.95

$16.94 ฿566

-51.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 zł 22.77

$2.74 ฿91.6

113.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.75 zł 37.88

$9.36 ฿313

4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.56

$2.40 ฿80.3

-51.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 zł 6.25

$1.01 ฿33.92

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 zł 8.19

$1.61 ฿53.9

31.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 zł 7.53

$1.52 ฿50.7

27.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 zł 3.10

$1.28 ฿42.90

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 zł 3.07

$1.11 ฿37.22

-28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 zł 4.03

$0.72 ฿24.09

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 zł 2.41

$0.52 ฿17.54

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 zł 19.09

$4.33 ฿145

13.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 zł 24.61

$17.73 ฿593

-64.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 zł 4.29

$1.63 ฿54.4

-32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 zł 6.41

$2.85 ฿95.3

-42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 zł 4.85

$0.85 ฿28.31

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.33 zł 141

$53.9 ฿1,801

-32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 zł 5.85

$1.17 ฿39.18

29.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 zł 2.09

$0.57 ฿19.00

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.36 zł 36.38

$2.37 ฿79.2

294.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 zł 6.46

$1.45 ฿48.32

14.48%

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

$30.8K zł 119.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

50.46%

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

$25.6K zł 99.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-3.37%

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

$291 zł 1,132

$62.3 ฿2,083

367.58%

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

$8.48 zł 32.95

$12.27 ฿410

-30.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.92 zł 65.8

$19.97 ฿668

-15.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 zł 159

$37.91 ฿1,267

7.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.81 zł 174

$3.76 ฿126

1091.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 zł 27.51

$6.71 ฿224

5.51%

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

$286 zł 1,111

$797 ฿26.6K

-64.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,529 zł 9,825

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-82.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 zł 283

$53.3 ฿1,780

36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 zł 156

$25.05 ฿837

60.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 zł 343

$91.6 ฿3,062

-3.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 zł 370

$73.5 ฿2,455

29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 zł 2,351

$464 ฿15.5K

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 zł 2,139

$305 ฿10.2K

80.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 zł 6,606

$915 ฿30.6K

85.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 zł 3,355

$552 ฿18.5K

56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,428 zł 9,433

$1,912 ฿63.9K

26.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 zł 7,545

$1,438 ฿48.1K

35.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,435 zł 5,574

$595 ฿19.9K

141.05%

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 Bielsko-biala: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bielsko-biala

$551 37.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 44.7% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bielsko-biala

$317 21.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 70.1% $222

Groceries & Markets

Bielsko-biala

$192 13%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 23.7% $46

Eating Out

Bielsko-biala

$186 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 57.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Bielsko-biala

$133 9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 17.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bielsko-biala

$55 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 6.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Bielsko-biala

$46 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 34.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $605 in Bielsko-biala and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bielsko-biala pays 141% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Bielsko-biala vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $238, with Bielsko-biala cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Bielsko-biala

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

01:27 1:27 AM

5 h ahead of Bielsko-biala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,756

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bielsko-biala Chiang Mai 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bielsko-biala
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

Bielsko-biala vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bielsko-biala and Chiang Mai differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,480 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 141% higher in Bielsko-biala, 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: $605 in Bielsko-biala versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 48% less than in Bielsko-biala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Bielsko-biala versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,480 in Bielsko-biala, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bielsko-biala. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bielsko-biala and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Bielsko-biala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.