Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Debrecen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,431 in Debrecen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Debrecen
Learn more

Debrecen Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Debrecen

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,431 in Debrecen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Debrecen $1,431

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,252 in Debrecen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Debrecen $2,252

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,073 in Debrecen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Debrecen $3,073

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Debrecen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Debrecen is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$13.63 Ft 4,494

-83.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$48.04 Ft 15.8K

-60.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.47 Ft 3,123

-41.39%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.34 Ft 771

-28.63%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.59 Ft 524

-59.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.05 Ft 348

-70.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.82 Ft 599

29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.23 Ft 735

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.25 Ft 412

56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.50 Ft 495

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.40 Ft 790

-44.58%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.60 Ft 1,187

-36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$10.32 Ft 3,402

59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.97 Ft 2,297

-60.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.41 Ft 5,079

-39.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.04 Ft 674

15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.23 Ft 736

-56.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.02 Ft 667

-20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.54 Ft 1,166

-57.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.90 Ft 298

42.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.26 Ft 415

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.51 Ft 498

-52.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.57 Ft 187

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$7.18 Ft 2,368

-42.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$4.17 Ft 1,374

320.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.23 Ft 407

30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.12 Ft 698

31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.57 Ft 516

-44.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$26.09 Ft 8,602

107.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.28 Ft 1,081

-64.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.41 Ft 465

-62.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$12.34 Ft 4,067

-80.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.89 Ft 623

-23.28%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$26.9K Ft 8.9M

-21.71%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$34.1K Ft 11.2M

-21.01%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$154 Ft 50.8K

-59.64%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$26.21 Ft 8,642

-53.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$21.46 Ft 7,075

-6.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$54.4 Ft 17.9K

-31.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$7.85 Ft 2,589

-51.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.76 Ft 3,218

-33.50%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$410 Ft 135.2K

79.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.8K Ft 3.6M

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$87.7 Ft 28.9K

-39.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$33.34 Ft 11.0K

-26.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$85.6 Ft 28.2K

6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$101 Ft 33.3K

-28.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$683 Ft 225.2K

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$535 Ft 176.5K

-42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,399 Ft 461.4K

-28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,070 Ft 352.7K

-40.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,252 Ft 1.1M

-27.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,498 Ft 823.5K

-36.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,236 Ft 407.5K

-52.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.9

-19.28%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Debrecen: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Debrecen

$535 37.4% 73.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Debrecen

$250 17.4% 6.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Debrecen

$138 9.7% 27.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Debrecen

$202 14.1% 114% $107

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Debrecen

$190 13.3% 145% $112

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Debrecen

$43 3% 30.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Debrecen

$74 5.2% 47% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $683 in Debrecen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Debrecen are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $48 in Debrecen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $250 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Debrecen

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

22:35 10:35 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

201,704

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Debrecen 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Debrecen

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 Debrecen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Debrecen costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,147 in Debrecen. 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 $482 there versus $683 in Debrecen.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $410 in Debrecen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Debrecen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,431 in Debrecen. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,431 in Debrecen. 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.

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