Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bytom and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,466 in Bytom, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bytom
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,466
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Bytom versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bytom $1,466
  • Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,099 in Bytom versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bytom $2,099
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,731 in Bytom versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bytom $2,731
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Bytom is roughly 56% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bytom is 9% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.31 zł 40.07
$2.26 ฿75.4
356.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.40 zł 138
$19.18 ฿641
84.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.68 zł 33.73
$5.59 ฿187
55.28%
Cappuccino
$3.52 zł 13.69
$1.72 ฿57.6
104.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 zł 8.23
$0.64 ฿21.54
231.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 zł 7.22
$0.33 ฿11.18
463.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.64 zł 14.15
$2.36 ฿78.7
54.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.59 zł 17.85
$3.90 ฿130
17.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 zł 4.23
$2.05 ฿68.6
-46.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 zł 4.81
$1.40 ฿46.70
-11.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.49 zł 5.79
$1.28 ฿42.89
16.41%
Eggs
$3.25 zł 12.61
$2.25 ฿75.3
44.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.58 zł 37.22
$16.94 ฿566
-43.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.30 zł 20.60
$2.74 ฿91.6
93.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.93 zł 46.36
$9.36 ฿313
27.46%
Apples (1kg)
$1.06 zł 4.12
$2.40 ฿80.3
-55.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 zł 6.28
$1.01 ฿33.92
60.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 zł 5.81
$1.61 ฿53.9
-7.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.50 zł 9.70
$1.52 ฿50.7
64.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 zł 3.55
$1.28 ฿42.90
-28.91%
Onion (1kg)
$0.78 zł 3.04
$1.11 ฿37.22
-29.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 zł 4.82
$0.72 ฿24.09
72.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 zł 2.58
$0.52 ฿17.54
26.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.64 zł 21.92
$4.33 ฿145
30.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.26 zł 24.32
$17.73 ฿593
-64.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 zł 4.02
$1.63 ฿54.4
-36.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 zł 6.60
$2.85 ฿95.3
-40.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.25 zł 4.85
$0.85 ฿28.31
47.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.83 zł 131
$53.9 ฿1,801
-37.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 zł 7.04
$1.17 ฿39.18
54.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.68 zł 2.66
$0.57 ฿19.00
19.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.01 zł 38.88
$2.37 ฿79.2
322.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.64 zł 6.36
$1.45 ฿48.32
13.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K zł 120.8K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
51.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.8K zł 107.9K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
4.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$321 zł 1,249
$62.3 ฿2,083
415.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.87 zł 30.58
$12.27 ฿410
-35.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.68 zł 68.7
$19.97 ฿668
-11.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.44 zł 149
$37.91 ฿1,267
1.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.62 zł 80.1
$3.76 ฿126
448.40%
Cinema Ticket
$7.16 zł 27.82
$6.71 ฿224
6.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$488 zł 1,898
$797 ฿26.6K
-38.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K zł 46.3K
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-19.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.9 zł 272
$53.3 ฿1,780
31.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.85 zł 120
$25.05 ฿837
23.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.0 zł 346
$91.6 ฿3,062
-2.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.5 zł 359
$73.5 ฿2,455
25.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$530 zł 2,060
$464 ฿15.5K
14.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$496 zł 1,926
$305 ฿10.2K
62.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,005 zł 3,903
$915 ฿30.6K
9.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$834 zł 3,241
$552 ฿18.5K
51.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,853 zł 11.1K
$1,912 ฿63.9K
49.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,239 zł 8,699
$1,438 ฿48.1K
55.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bytom
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.19
5.57
29.08%

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

Last update for Bytom: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bytom
$496
Chiang Mai
$305 38.5% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bytom
$347
Chiang Mai
$95 72.7% $252
Groceries & Markets
Bytom
$205
Chiang Mai
$238 16.1% $33
Eating Out
Bytom
$194
Chiang Mai
$79 59.3% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Bytom
$127
Chiang Mai
$110 13.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Bytom
$53
Chiang Mai
$51 2.7% $1.4
Getting Around
Bytom
$44
Chiang Mai
$61 39.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Bytom and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Bytom vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $238, with Bytom cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Bytom
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
05:25 5:25 AM
10:25 10:25 AM
5 h ahead of Bytom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
162,250
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bytom Chiang Mai 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bytom
  • 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
Bytom vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bytom or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Bytom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bytom and in Chiang Mai?
You'd need roughly $2,199 in Bytom and $1,408 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bytom compared to Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $530 in Bytom versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Bytom compared to Chiang Mai?
All in, you'll spend $1,466 per month in Bytom versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Bytom compared to Chiang Mai?
A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 59% less than in Bytom. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bytom or in Chiang Mai?
At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,466 in Bytom, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bytom. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bytom or Chiang Mai?
Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.
How safe is Bytom compared to Chiang Mai?
Safety-wise, Bytom 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Bytom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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