Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kalisz

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,136 in Kalisz, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Kalisz
Learn more

Kalisz Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Kalisz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,136 in Kalisz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kalisz $1,136

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,596 in Kalisz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kalisz $1,596

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,056 in Kalisz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kalisz $2,056

Chiang Mai is about 17% cheaper than Kalisz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Kalisz are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kalisz 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$8.73 zł 33.92

-74.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$30.31 zł 118

-36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$8.87 zł 34.47

-36.98%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.08 zł 11.96

-44.16%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.00 zł 7.76

-68.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.63 zł 6.33

-79.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.49 zł 9.68

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.59 zł 10.07

50.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.92 zł 3.59

122.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.21 zł 4.71

15.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.62 zł 6.29

-20.99%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.95 zł 11.44

-23.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.96 zł 30.91

112.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.34 zł 16.87

-36.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.22 zł 35.82

1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.07 zł 4.15

124.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.60 zł 6.22

-36.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.57 zł 6.12

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.10 zł 12.03

-50.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.79 zł 3.06

62.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.01 zł 3.92

9.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.30 zł 5.05

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.55 zł 2.16

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.68 zł 18.18

-7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$6.98 zł 27.14

154.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.87 zł 3.39

87.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.39 zł 5.40

105.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$1.04 zł 4.04

-18.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$34.99 zł 136

54.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.00 zł 7.75

-41.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.05 zł 4.08

-45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.51 zł 25.30

-63.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.57 zł 6.11

-7.64%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$30.5K zł 118.5K

-32.85%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$27.4K zł 106.5K

-3.27%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$186 zł 724

-66.57%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$10.06 zł 39.08

21.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$16.83 zł 65.4

18.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$31.87 zł 124

18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.46 zł 25.11

3.87%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$248 zł 964

221.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,003 zł 19.4K

196.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$83.4 zł 324

-36.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$25.41 zł 98.7

-1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$79.2 zł 308

15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$88.5 zł 344

-16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$445 zł 1,730

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$354 zł 1,376

-14.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$538 zł 2,092

70.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$457 zł 1,774

20.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,968 zł 7,648

-2.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,462 zł 5,679

-1.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,190 zł 4,622

-49.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.21

-10.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kalisz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kalisz

$354 31.2% 16.3% $50

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kalisz

$187 16.5% 21.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kalisz

$124 11% 13.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kalisz

$213 18.8% 126% $119

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kalisz

$166 14.6% 110% $87

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kalisz

$46 4.1% 24.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kalisz

$45 3.9% 12.7% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $445 in Kalisz. 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 100% higher in Kalisz, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Kalisz. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $187 in Kalisz – so Kalisz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Kalisz

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

103,997

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kalisz 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kalisz

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 Kalisz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalisz costs about 21% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,704 in Kalisz. 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.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $248 in Kalisz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Kalisz – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Kalisz at $1,136. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalisz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,136 in Kalisz. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Kalisz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.