Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Augustow

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,604 in Augustow, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Augustow
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Augustow Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Augustow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Augustow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $1,604 in Augustow.

Chiang Mai $935
Augustow $1,604

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $2,326 in Augustow.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Augustow $2,326

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $3,048 in Augustow.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Augustow $3,048

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 42% less than in Augustow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Augustow is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$11.37 zł 44.73

-81.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$59.7 zł 235

-68.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$10.06 zł 39.59

-44.33%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$4.28 zł 16.82

-61.21%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$2.28 zł 8.98

-71.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$2.29 zł 9.03

-86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$4.60 zł 18.12

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$5.13 zł 20.17

-28.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.05 zł 4.12

92.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.51 zł 5.95

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.53 zł 6.01

-9.15%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$3.93 zł 15.48

-39.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$8.67 zł 34.12

90.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$6.30 zł 24.80

-57.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$14.27 zł 56.2

-36.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.22 zł 4.79

96.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.71 zł 6.74

-39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.65 zł 6.47

0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$3.95 zł 15.56

-60.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.92 zł 3.61

34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.87 zł 3.43

25.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.39 zł 5.48

-45.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.64 zł 2.53

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$6.48 zł 25.48

-36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$6.32 zł 24.87

183.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.14 zł 4.49

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.71 zł 6.72

64.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.10 zł 4.32

-15.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$29.45 zł 116

79.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$2.51 zł 9.87

-52.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.25 zł 4.91

-86.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$12.47 zł 49.05

-85.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.75 zł 6.88

-16.00%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$29.8K zł 117.4K

-29.60%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$30.0K zł 118.0K

-11.62%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$347 zł 1,364

-81.96%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$8.90 zł 35.03

30.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$16.30 zł 64.1

24.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$37.77 zł 149

0.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$21.60 zł 85.0

-82.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$9.12 zł 35.90

-28.62%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$587 zł 2,309

23.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$14.6K zł 57.5K

13.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$106 zł 418

-49.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$39.72 zł 156

-37.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$104 zł 410

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$110 zł 434

-34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$588 zł 2,313

-18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$517 zł 2,033

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$976 zł 3,840

8.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$800 zł 3,149

-17.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$2,860 zł 11.3K

-15.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$2,166 zł 8,523

-25.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$1,479 zł 5,820

-59.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.69

-16.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Augustow: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Augustow

$517 32.2% 66.7% $207

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Augustow

$230 14.4% 2.8% $6.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Augustow

$162 10.1% 49.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Augustow

$372 23.2% 294% $277

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Augustow

$224 14% 193% $147

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Augustow

$43 2.7% 27.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Augustow

$56 3.5% 10.1% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $588 in Augustow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Augustow pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $60 in Augustow. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $230, with Augustow cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Augustow

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

29,785

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, 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 = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.93 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Augustow 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Augustow

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 Augustow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Augustow. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $588 in Augustow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $587 in Augustow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Augustow pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Augustow are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Augustow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.