Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ajka

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,216 in Ajka, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ajka
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Ajka Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ajka

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ajka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Ajka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $1,216 in Ajka.

Chiang Mai $935
Ajka $1,216

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,800 in Ajka.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ajka $1,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $2,384 in Ajka.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ajka $2,384

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 23% less than in Ajka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ajka 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$9.23 Ft 3,001

-76.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$22.29 Ft 7,243

-16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$7.81 Ft 2,539

-28.30%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.15 Ft 373

44.35%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.09 Ft 353

-40.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.54 Ft 177

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.26 Ft 410

84.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$1.15 Ft 374

219.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.18 Ft 385

71.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.35 Ft 438

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$2.53 Ft 822

-45.06%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$3.61 Ft 1,174

-34.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$10.61 Ft 3,448

55.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$6.66 Ft 2,164

-59.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$16.34 Ft 5,308

-44.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.26 Ft 735

6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$2.13 Ft 693

-51.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.95 Ft 634

-14.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$3.41 Ft 1,107

-54.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.97 Ft 315

27.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.06 Ft 343

2.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.59 Ft 518

-52.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.50 Ft 162

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$7.94 Ft 2,582

-48.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$5.18 Ft 1,684

246.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.28 Ft 415

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.95 Ft 633

44.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.20 Ft 389

-22.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$26.03 Ft 8,458

103.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$3.07 Ft 997

-61.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.64 Ft 531

-89.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$18.10 Ft 5,882

-90.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.85 Ft 602

-20.54%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$27.1K Ft 8.8M

-22.53%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$35.0K Ft 11.4M

-24.24%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$127 Ft 41.3K

-50.80%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$21.25 Ft 6,906

-45.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$19.55 Ft 6,352

3.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$51.5 Ft 16.7K

-26.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$18.47 Ft 6,002

-79.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$8.55 Ft 2,778

-23.86%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$244 Ft 79.4K

197.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$6,673 Ft 2.2M

148.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$115 Ft 37.3K

-53.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$32.78 Ft 10.7K

-24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$92.5 Ft 30.0K

-2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$109 Ft 35.4K

-34.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$537 Ft 174.5K

-10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$403 Ft 130.9K

-23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$745 Ft 242.1K

42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$639 Ft 207.6K

3.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$3,203 Ft 1.0M

-24.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$2,488 Ft 808.3K

-35.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ajka: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ajka

$403 33.1% 29.9% $93

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ajka

$251 20.7% 6.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ajka

$157 12.9% 45.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ajka

$168 13.8% 77.8% $73

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ajka

$126 10.4% 64.8% $50

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ajka

$42 3.5% 28.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ajka

$69 5.6% 34.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $537 in Ajka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $22 in Ajka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $251 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Ajka

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

26,408

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ajka 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ajka

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,216 in Ajka, so Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,823 in Ajka 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $537 in Ajka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ajka runs roughly 51% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $244 in Ajka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.