Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ceske Budejovice

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,723 in Ceske Budejovice, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Ceske Budejovice
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Ceske Budejovice Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Ceske Budejovice

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ceske Budejovice

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,723 in Ceske Budejovice, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Ceske Budejovice $1,723

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,579 in Ceske Budejovice, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Ceske Budejovice $2,579

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,436 in Ceske Budejovice, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Ceske Budejovice $3,436

Chiang Mai is about 46% cheaper than Ceske Budejovice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Ceske Budejovice is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.29 Kč 201

-75.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$42.12 Kč 911

-53.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$15.36 Kč 332

-63.48%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.35 Kč 72.5

-50.45%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.17 Kč 46.99

-67.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$3.77 Kč 81.6

-91.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.81 Kč 60.7

-14.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.68 Kč 58.0

38.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.31 Kč 28.35

48.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.06 Kč 44.63

-31.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.67 Kč 57.7

-50.94%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.39 Kč 73.4

-35.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$14.36 Kč 310

15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$10.45 Kč 226

-73.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.43 Kč 247

-20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.53 Kč 33.04

56.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.73 Kč 37.36

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.22 Kč 48.00

-26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.43 Kč 74.2

-56.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.67 Kč 36.18

-22.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.16 Kč 25.01

-4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.53 Kč 33.02

-52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 Kč 16.57

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$7.64 Kč 165

-43.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.26 Kč 157

147.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.16 Kč 25.08

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.46 Kč 53.3

15.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.41 Kč 30.45

-39.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$19.46 Kč 421

173.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$4.29 Kč 92.8

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.74 Kč 15.90

-22.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$18.25 Kč 395

-87.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.82 Kč 39.29

-20.88%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$27.6K Kč 597.9K

-25.02%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$31.5K Kč 682.2K

-15.04%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$345 Kč 7,456

-81.92%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$31.09 Kč 672

-61.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$19.42 Kč 420

2.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$54.9 Kč 1,187

-32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$15.91 Kč 344

-76.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$10.65 Kč 230

-38.97%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$528 Kč 11.4K

50.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$10.4K Kč 223.9K

43.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$53.7 Kč 1,161

0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$39.84 Kč 862

-38.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$96.6 Kč 2,089

-5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$139 Kč 3,002

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$743 Kč 16.1K

-38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$587 Kč 12.7K

-49.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,699 Kč 36.7K

-46.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,188 Kč 25.7K

-53.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$4,974 Kč 107.6K

-61.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$3,133 Kč 67.8K

-53.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,589 Kč 34.4K

-62.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.8

-3.97%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ceske Budejovice: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Ceske Budejovice

$587 34.1% 97.1% $289

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Ceske Budejovice

$279 16.2% 18.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Ceske Budejovice

$148 8.6% 36.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Ceske Budejovice

$395 22.9% 319% $301

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Ceske Budejovice

$204 11.8% 159% $125

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ceske Budejovice

$33 1.9% 45.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ceske Budejovice

$76 4.4% 52.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $743 in Ceske Budejovice. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 169% higher in Ceske Budejovice, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $42.00 in Ceske Budejovice. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $279 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇿 Ceske Budejovice

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

94,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ceske Budejovice 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ceske Budejovice

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 Ceske Budejovice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai, $1,723 in Ceske Budejovice – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,585 in Ceske Budejovice. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $1,723 in Ceske Budejovice. That's a gap of about 86%.

Public transport costs about 174% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Ceske Budejovice at $1,723. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ceske Budejovice it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Chiang Mai to $1,723 in Ceske Budejovice. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ceske Budejovice makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.