Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Érd

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,144 in Érd, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Érd
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Érd Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Érd

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,144 in Érd, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Érd $1,144

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,942 in Érd, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Érd $1,942

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,740 in Érd, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Érd $2,740

Chiang Mai is about 18% cheaper than Érd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Érd are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Érd 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$11.83 Ft 3,848

-81.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$76.5 Ft 24.9K

-75.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.33 Ft 3,361

-46.27%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.66 Ft 867

-37.22%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.30 Ft 423

-50.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.04 Ft 339

-70.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.41 Ft 784

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$1.84 Ft 598

98.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.19 Ft 386

63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.64 Ft 535

-12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$2.81 Ft 913

-52.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.16 Ft 1,028

-27.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$10.49 Ft 3,413

56.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.68 Ft 1,849

-51.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.18 Ft 4,614

-34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.75 Ft 569

34.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.86 Ft 605

-47.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$2.02 Ft 657

-20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.32 Ft 1,081

-54.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$1.02 Ft 331

25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.11 Ft 363

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$1.60 Ft 520

-55.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.55 Ft 177

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$7.51 Ft 2,445

-44.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$4.83 Ft 1,571

262.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.26 Ft 409

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.05 Ft 667

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.43 Ft 465

-39.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$29.62 Ft 9,638

82.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$2.89 Ft 941

-59.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.42 Ft 461

-62.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$18.04 Ft 5,868

-86.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.91 Ft 622

-24.08%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$26.8K Ft 8.7M

-21.46%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$33.4K Ft 10.9M

-19.35%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$101 Ft 32.7K

-38.15%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$12.13 Ft 3,947

0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$18.22 Ft 5,928

10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$53.2 Ft 17.3K

-29.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.84 Ft 5,805

-78.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.09 Ft 2,958

-28.60%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$250 Ft 81.3K

194.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$7,618 Ft 2.5M

93.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$88.6 Ft 28.8K

-39.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$31.05 Ft 10.1K

-20.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$85.6 Ft 27.9K

6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$101 Ft 32.9K

-28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$420 Ft 136.6K

14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$339 Ft 110.2K

-8.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$737 Ft 239.7K

36.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$725 Ft 236.0K

-12.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,828 Ft 920.2K

-16.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,345 Ft 763.0K

-32.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,175 Ft 382.4K

-49.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Érd: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Érd

$339 29.6% 9.6% $30

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Érd

$237 20.8% 1.3% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Érd

$138 12.1% 27% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Érd

$131 11.4% 38.5% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Érd

$183 16% 136% $105

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Érd

$45 4% 26.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Érd

$71 6.2% 41.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $420 in Érd. 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 99% higher in Érd. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $76 in Érd. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Érd

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

08:38 8:38 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

71,338

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Érd 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Érd

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 Érd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Érd costs about 22% 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 $1,716 in Érd. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Érd, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $420 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $76 in Érd. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Érd. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,144 in Érd. 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 $1,144 in Érd. 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, Érd makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.