Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Biala Podlaska

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,282 in Biala Podlaska, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Biala Podlaska
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Biala Podlaska Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Biala Podlaska

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,282

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Biala Podlaska

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $1,282 in Biala Podlaska.

Chiang Mai $935
Biala Podlaska $1,282

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,893 in Biala Podlaska.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Biala Podlaska $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $2,504 in Biala Podlaska.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Biala Podlaska $2,504

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 27% less than in Biala Podlaska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Biala Podlaska 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$7.51 zł 29.37

-71.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$20.44 zł 79.9

-8.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$9.07 zł 35.45

-38.26%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.46 zł 13.53

-52.02%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$2.77 zł 10.81

-76.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$2.77 zł 10.83

-89.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$4.60 zł 17.98

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.09 zł 19.89

-27.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.95 zł 3.72

112.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.10 zł 4.30

28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.38 zł 5.39

0.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$3.32 zł 12.96

-28.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$10.42 zł 40.72

58.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$6.78 zł 26.49

-60.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$11.46 zł 44.80

-21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.18 zł 4.62

103.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.64 zł 6.43

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.31 zł 9.05

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.99 zł 11.67

-47.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.77 zł 3.02

61.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.92 zł 3.58

18.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.33 zł 5.22

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.58 zł 2.25

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$5.56 zł 21.74

-25.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$6.56 zł 25.64

173.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.10 zł 4.30

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.75 zł 6.82

61.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$1.04 zł 4.07

-10.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$29.54 zł 115

79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$1.84 zł 7.18

-35.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.68 zł 2.65

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$9.24 zł 36.10

-80.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.51 zł 5.92

-2.65%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$30.6K zł 119.6K

-31.34%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$27.9K zł 108.9K

-4.84%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$191 zł 746

-67.22%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$8.72 zł 34.10

33.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$12.70 zł 49.64

59.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$38.86 zł 152

-2.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$20.46 zł 80.0

-81.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$5.12 zł 19.99

27.15%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$507 zł 1,979

43.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$13.6K zł 53.1K

22.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$73.3 zł 286

-26.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$40.00 zł 156

-38.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$87.8 zł 343

2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$96.9 zł 379

-25.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$649 zł 2,535

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$446 zł 1,742

-30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$1,098 zł 4,291

-3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$819 zł 3,202

-19.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$2,947 zł 11.5K

-17.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$2,216 zł 8,660

-27.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,025 zł 4,005

-41.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.87

-18.92%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Biala Podlaska: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Biala Podlaska

$446 34.8% 43.9% $136

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Biala Podlaska

$217 17% 8.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Biala Podlaska

$134 10.5% 23.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Biala Podlaska

$212 16.6% 125% $118

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Biala Podlaska

$184 14.4% 141% $108

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Biala Podlaska

$39 3% 33.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Biala Podlaska

$49 3.8% 3.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $649 in Biala Podlaska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biala Podlaska pays 72% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $20 in Biala Podlaska. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $217, with Biala Podlaska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Biala Podlaska

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

00:29 12:29 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

56,760

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 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 = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 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 Biala Podlaska 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Biala Podlaska

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 Biala Podlaska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,282 in Biala Podlaska, so Chiang Mai is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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 $649 in Biala Podlaska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $507 in Biala Podlaska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Biala Podlaska pay roughly 8% 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.

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