Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Boleslawiec

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,349 in Boleslawiec, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Boleslawiec, Poland
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Boleslawiec
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,349 in Boleslawiec, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Boleslawiec $1,349

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,953 in Boleslawiec, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Boleslawiec $1,953

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,557 in Boleslawiec, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Boleslawiec $2,557

Chiang Mai is about 31% cheaper than Boleslawiec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿71.7
$9.01 zł 35.15
-76.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿625
$44.80 zł 175
-58.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿188
$8.27 zł 32.25
-32.29%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.9
$2.96 zł 11.57
-43.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.73
$1.82 zł 7.10
-64.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.24
$1.40 zł 5.47
-78.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.0
$3.12 zł 12.16
-25.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿123
$3.04 zł 11.86
20.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿67.7
$0.92 zł 3.58
119.57%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.29
$1.31 zł 5.10
7.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.75
$1.10 zł 4.28
26.36%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.5
$3.35 zł 13.06
-29.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿555
$8.88 zł 34.66
86.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿89.7
$6.42 zł 25.04
-58.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿303
$12.68 zł 49.46
-28.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.6
$0.92 zł 3.58
160.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿34.98
$1.69 zł 6.59
-38.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿55.7
$1.54 zł 6.00
7.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.4
$2.29 zł 8.95
-31.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.57
$0.85 zł 3.31
45.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.50
$1.07 zł 4.17
1.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.59
$1.14 zł 4.47
-33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.27
$0.55 zł 2.16
-7.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿138
$5.44 zł 21.21
-24.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿602
$6.53 zł 25.48
174.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.5
$1.11 zł 4.32
45.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿94.8
$1.45 zł 5.65
94.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$1.05 zł 4.08
-11.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,777
$29.14 zł 114
81.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.52
$2.02 zł 7.87
-41.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.76
$0.92 zł 3.60
-81.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿60.9
$12.57 zł 49.05
-85.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.47
$1.58 zł 6.16
-6.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿705.8K
$30.9K zł 120.4K
-31.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿890.7K
$28.7K zł 112.0K
-7.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,101
$240 zł 938
-73.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿390
$12.14 zł 47.37
-4.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿682
$7.95 zł 31.01
155.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,272
$20.91 zł 81.6
81.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿124
$21.66 zł 84.5
-82.92%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿219
$4.36 zł 17.02
49.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.4K
$359 zł 1,402
102.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿556.7K
$2,548 zł 9,940
550.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,798
$67.7 zł 264
-20.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿833
$35.37 zł 138
-29.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,036
$78.7 zł 307
14.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,418
$91.6 zł 357
-21.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$598 zł 2,335
-19.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.4K
$522 zł 2,036
-40.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.5K
$975 zł 3,802
8.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.1K
$806 zł 3,143
-18.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.2K
$2,959 zł 11.5K
-18.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.0K
$2,161 zł 8,432
-25.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Boleslawiec
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.0K
$1,904 zł 7,431
-68.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.4
3.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Boleslawiec: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Boleslawiec
$522 68.4% $212
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Boleslawiec
$207 12.7% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Boleslawiec
$123 13.5% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Boleslawiec
$261 176% $166
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Boleslawiec
$167 118% $90
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Boleslawiec
$40 31.9% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Boleslawiec
$30 41.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $598 in Boleslawiec. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Boleslawiec are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $45 in Boleslawiec. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $207 in Boleslawiec – so Boleslawiec wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇵🇱 Boleslawiec
🕒 Local time
07:22 7:22 AM
01:22 1:22 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
38,280
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Boleslawiec 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Boleslawiec

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 Boleslawiec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Boleslawiec?
Yes – Boleslawiec is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,023 in Boleslawiec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $598 in Boleslawiec.
How do food prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Boleslawiec?
Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Boleslawiec – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in Chiang Mai or in Boleslawiec?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $45 in Boleslawiec. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Chiang Mai or in Boleslawiec?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,349 in Boleslawiec. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Chiang Mai or in Boleslawiec?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,349 in Boleslawiec. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Chiang Mai or Boleslawiec?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boleslawiec makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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