Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bielsko-biala

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,465 in Bielsko-biala, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Bielsko-biala
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Bielsko-biala Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bielsko-biala

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bielsko-biala

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 Bielsko-biala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,465 in Bielsko-biala.

Chiang Mai $936
Bielsko-biala $1,465

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,112 in Bielsko-biala.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bielsko-biala $2,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,758 in Bielsko-biala.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bielsko-biala $2,758

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 36% less than in Bielsko-biala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Bielsko-biala is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$9.41 zł 37.20

-76.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$46.43 zł 184

-59.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.96 zł 35.41

-38.06%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.64 zł 14.38

-54.12%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$2.20 zł 8.69

-70.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.36 zł 5.36

-77.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.80 zł 15.00

-37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.88 zł 15.33

-5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.02 zł 4.05

91.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.10 zł 4.37

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.32 zł 5.22

0.76%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.83 zł 11.20

-19.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.06 zł 31.86

104.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.77 zł 22.79

-51.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.48 zł 37.46

-1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.19 zł 4.69

97.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.61 zł 6.37

-39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.12 zł 8.39

-24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.91 zł 7.56

-21.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.79 zł 3.11

62.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.73 zł 2.89

50.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.00 zł 3.94

-29.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.61 zł 2.43

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.83 zł 19.09

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.19 zł 24.45

183.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.11 zł 4.38

45.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.63 zł 6.43

70.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.26 zł 4.98

-30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$35.76 zł 141

51.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.59 zł 6.27

-27.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.55 zł 2.17

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.25 zł 36.57

-73.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.60 zł 6.32

-9.38%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$29.9K zł 118.3K

-29.65%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$25.8K zł 101.8K

4.62%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$291 zł 1,151

-78.65%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.46 zł 33.42

43.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$17.02 zł 67.3

18.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.22 zł 163

-9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$44.19 zł 175

-91.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.85 zł 27.06

-5.26%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$280 zł 1,107

162.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,442 zł 9,654

504.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$72.7 zł 288

-26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$39.47 zł 156

-37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$89.6 zł 354

2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$95.9 zł 379

-24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$596 zł 2,356

-19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$539 zł 2,129

-42.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,743 zł 6,891

-42.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$845 zł 3,339

-25.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,348 zł 9,281

0.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,948 zł 7,700

-18.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,462 zł 5,777

-59.65%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bielsko-biala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bielsko-biala

$539 36.8% 74.3% $230

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bielsko-biala

$189 12.9% 19.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bielsko-biala

$134 9.1% 23.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bielsko-biala

$317 21.6% 235% $222

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bielsko-biala

$187 12.8% 141% $109

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bielsko-biala

$45 3.1% 26.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bielsko-biala

$55 3.8% 9.2% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $596 in Bielsko-biala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bielsko-biala 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 $46 in Bielsko-biala. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $189, with Bielsko-biala cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Bielsko-biala

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

11:44 11:44 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

169,756

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.95 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bielsko-biala 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bielsko-biala

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 Bielsko-biala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,465 in Bielsko-biala, so Chiang Mai is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $596 in Bielsko-biala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bielsko-biala runs roughly 34% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $280 in Bielsko-biala. 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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bielsko-biala 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, Bielsko-biala on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.