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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,474 in Bydgoszcz versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Bydgoszcz versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,069 in Bydgoszcz versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bydgoszcz is roughly 70% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bydgoszcz is 10% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 zł 42.62

$1.94 ฿63.5

502.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 zł 246

$18.64 ฿609

261.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 zł 29.04

$7.82 ฿255

1.92%

Cappuccino

$4.00 zł 14.57

$1.95 ฿63.8

105.13%

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

$2.33 zł 8.49

$0.85 ฿27.77

174.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 6.84

$0.35 ฿11.58

437.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 zł 14.42

$2.13 ฿69.6

85.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 zł 14.05

$3.73 ฿122

3.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 zł 3.91

$1.71 ฿56.0

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 zł 5.48

$1.63 ฿53.2

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 zł 6.41

$1.14 ฿37.15

54.39%

Eggs

$3.38 zł 12.31

$1.93 ฿63.1

75.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 zł 37.78

$16.21 ฿530

-36.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 zł 25.59

$3.12 ฿102

125.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 zł 52.8

$10.90 ฿356

32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 zł 4.92

$2.75 ฿90.0

-50.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 zł 5.89

$1.21 ฿39.52

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 zł 5.97

$1.62 ฿53.0

1.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 zł 15.52

$1.59 ฿51.8

167.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.38

$1.40 ฿45.70

-33.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.28

$1.17 ฿38.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 zł 4.76

$0.66 ฿21.60

98.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 zł 2.44

$0.53 ฿17.22

26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 zł 18.33

$4.69 ฿153

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 zł 31.67

$18.66 ฿609

-53.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 zł 4.04

$1.80 ฿58.8

-38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 zł 5.80

$3.23 ฿106

-50.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 zł 3.85

$0.90 ฿29.26

17.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.74 zł 105

$19.21 ฿628

49.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.20 zł 8.03

$1.41 ฿45.91

56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 zł 2.60

$1.29 ฿42.12

-44.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.67 zł 38.91

$7.84 ฿256

36.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 zł 6.24

$1.27 ฿41.58

34.65%

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

$33.2K zł 121.1K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

56.16%

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

$31.6K zł 115.2K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

42.25%

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

$232 zł 845

$69.1 ฿2,256

235.63%

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

$8.68 zł 31.63

$14.08 ฿460

-38.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 zł 62.5

$18.00 ฿588

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.10 zł 139

$41.06 ฿1,341

-7.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.55 zł 74.9

$6.96 ฿227

195.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 zł 28.74

$5.92 ฿193

33.11%

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

$451 zł 1,644

$299 ฿9,766

50.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,504 zł 20.1K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-63.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 zł 356

$54.7 ฿1,787

78.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 zł 139

$26.77 ฿874

42.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 zł 402

$85.0 ฿2,776

29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 zł 466

$70.6 ฿2,306

80.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 zł 2,567

$428 ฿14.0K

64.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 zł 1,820

$237 ฿7,752

110.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 zł 4,374

$801 ฿26.2K

49.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 zł 3,266

$515 ฿16.8K

73.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,080 zł 11.2K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

55.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,294 zł 8,362

$1,475 ฿48.2K

55.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,598 zł 5,824

$617 ฿20.2K

158.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

28.00%

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

Last update for Bydgoszcz: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Bydgoszcz and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bydgoszcz pays 159% 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: $67.0 in Bydgoszcz vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $246, with Bydgoszcz cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Bydgoszcz. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Bydgoszcz pays 159% 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: $704 in Bydgoszcz versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $451 in Bydgoszcz versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bydgoszcz pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,474 in Bydgoszcz, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bydgoszcz. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bydgoszcz 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 70% less than in Bydgoszcz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.