Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Benesov

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,558 in Benesov, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Benesov
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Benesov Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Benesov

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,558 in Benesov, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Benesov $1,558

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,157 in Benesov, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Benesov $2,157

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,756 in Benesov, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Benesov $2,756

Chiang Mai is about 40% cheaper than Benesov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Benesov is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$6.27 Kč 135

-66.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$26.31 Kč 568

-29.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$9.10 Kč 197

-38.46%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.13 Kč 46.05

-22.07%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$1.34 Kč 28.97

-51.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.66 Kč 14.17

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$1.57 Kč 33.81

47.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.67 Kč 36.06

119.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.92 Kč 19.77

119.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.17 Kč 25.23

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.86 Kč 40.18

-25.27%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.87 Kč 40.39

26.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.27 Kč 157

127.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$7.21 Kč 156

-62.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$16.17 Kč 349

-44.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.60 Kč 34.46

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.13 Kč 24.39

-7.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.35 Kč 29.16

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.23 Kč 48.16

-30.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.90 Kč 19.51

37.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.10 Kč 23.66

-0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.72 Kč 15.62

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.72 Kč 15.50

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$5.35 Kč 115

-22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$5.17 Kč 112

246.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.88 Kč 18.96

84.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$0.67 Kč 14.55

320.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$1.16 Kč 25.16

-19.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$24.99 Kč 540

111.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$2.81 Kč 60.6

-58.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.44 Kč 9.56

-61.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$5.41 Kč 117

-66.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.53 Kč 33.04

-3.92%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$29.7K Kč 641.7K

-29.27%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$25.6K Kč 552.5K

3.67%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$295 Kč 6,376

-78.81%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$22.24 Kč 480

-47.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$18.64 Kč 403

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$54.5 Kč 1,178

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$11.62 Kč 251

-68.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$12.76 Kč 276

-48.98%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$639 Kč 13.8K

13.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$11.6K Kč 251.6K

42.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$84.2 Kč 1,818

-36.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$36.38 Kč 786

-31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$100 Kč 2,161

-9.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$120 Kč 2,598

-40.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$749 Kč 16.2K

-35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$626 Kč 13.5K

-50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$1,250 Kč 27.0K

-15.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$954 Kč 20.6K

-30.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$4,720 Kč 101.9K

-48.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$3,604 Kč 77.9K

-55.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.67

19.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Benesov: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Benesov

$626 40.2% 102% $316

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Benesov

$206 13.2% 13% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Benesov

$153 9.9% 41.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Benesov

$336 21.6% 256% $242

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Benesov

$122 7.8% 59.6% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Benesov

$35 2.2% 40.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Benesov

$80 5.1% 57.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $749 in Benesov. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $26 in Benesov. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $206 in Benesov – so Benesov wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇿 Benesov

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

16:22 4:22 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

16,480

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 CZK = 4.63 USD

100 CZK = 4.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 21.6 CZK (100 CZK = 4.63 USD). 1 EUR = 24.22 CZK (100 CZK = 4.13 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Benesov 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Benesov

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 Benesov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $1,558 in Benesov – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,337 in Benesov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $749 in Benesov.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Benesov. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $639 in Benesov. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,558 in Benesov. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,558 in Benesov. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.