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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,841 in Brno versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,601 in Brno versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Brno versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brno is roughly 113% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brno is 37% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.42 Kč 196

$1.94 ฿63.5

385.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.41 Kč 924

$18.64 ฿609

138.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 Kč 197

$7.82 ฿255

21.10%

Cappuccino

$3.27 Kč 68.0

$1.95 ฿63.8

67.69%

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

$1.96 Kč 40.75

$0.85 ฿27.77

130.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 Kč 24.53

$0.35 ฿11.58

237.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Kč 54.7

$2.13 ฿69.6

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Kč 53.7

$3.73 ฿122

-30.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Kč 23.97

$1.71 ฿56.0

-32.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 Kč 30.86

$1.63 ฿53.2

-9.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 Kč 43.34

$1.14 ฿37.15

82.46%

Eggs

$2.94 Kč 61.2

$1.93 ฿63.1

52.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 Kč 269

$16.21 ฿530

-20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 Kč 203

$3.12 ฿102

212.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 Kč 265

$10.90 ฿356

17.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 Kč 34.71

$2.75 ฿90.0

-39.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 Kč 36.80

$1.21 ฿39.52

46.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 Kč 44.93

$1.62 ฿53.0

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 Kč 79.6

$1.59 ฿51.8

140.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Kč 27.53

$1.40 ฿45.70

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 Kč 27.15

$1.17 ฿38.17

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 Kč 32.12

$0.66 ฿21.60

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Kč 15.28

$0.53 ฿17.22

37.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 Kč 146

$4.69 ฿153

49.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 Kč 148

$18.66 ฿609

-61.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 Kč 18.21

$1.80 ฿58.8

-51.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 Kč 38.60

$3.23 ฿106

-42.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 Kč 23.70

$0.90 ฿29.26

26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.19 Kč 545

$19.21 ฿628

36.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 Kč 57.8

$1.41 ฿45.91

97.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 Kč 30.30

$1.29 ฿42.12

13.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.24 Kč 317

$7.84 ฿256

94.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 Kč 35.27

$1.27 ฿41.58

33.07%

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

$28.3K Kč 589.9K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

33.23%

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

$29.2K Kč 607.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

31.36%

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

$310 Kč 6,460

$69.1 ฿2,256

349.49%

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

$25.40 Kč 529

$14.08 ฿460

80.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.51 Kč 427

$18.00 ฿588

13.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Kč 1,139

$41.06 ฿1,341

33.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.20 Kč 316

$6.96 ฿227

118.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 Kč 240

$5.92 ฿193

94.76%

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

$438 Kč 9,110

$299 ฿9,766

46.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K Kč 297.6K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-4.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 Kč 1,849

$54.7 ฿1,787

62.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 Kč 852

$26.77 ฿874

53.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 Kč 2,079

$85.0 ฿2,776

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 Kč 2,354

$70.6 ฿2,306

60.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 Kč 19.9K

$428 ฿14.0K

123.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 Kč 16.0K

$237 ฿7,752

224.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 Kč 29.8K

$801 ฿26.2K

78.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Kč 23.8K

$515 ฿16.8K

121.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,675 Kč 138.9K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

238.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,503 Kč 114.5K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

273.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 Kč 40.4K

$617 ฿20.2K

214.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

11.20%

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

Last update for Brno: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Brno and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brno pays 214% 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: $44.00 in Brno vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $246 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Brno pays 214% more on average, 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: $958 in Brno versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $44.00 in Brno. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,841 per month in Brno versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,841 in Brno, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brno. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brno, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brno 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 113% less than in Brno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.