Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kalocsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,294 in Kalocsa, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Kalocsa, Hungary
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Kalocsa
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,294 in Kalocsa, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Kalocsa $1,294

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,973 in Kalocsa, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Kalocsa $1,973

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,652 in Kalocsa, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Kalocsa $2,652

Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper than Kalocsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Kalocsa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kalocsa 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿72.0
$11.93 Ft 3,876
-82.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿628
$51.8 Ft 16.8K
-64.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿189
$9.31 Ft 3,026
-39.85%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿56.1
$2.55 Ft 827
-34.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.82
$1.96 Ft 637
-66.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.29
$1.17 Ft 381
-74.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.3
$2.98 Ft 968
-22.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿124
$2.77 Ft 902
32.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿68.0
$1.18 Ft 382
71.19%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.49
$1.49 Ft 484
-5.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.94
$2.31 Ft 750
-39.83%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.9
$3.25 Ft 1,055
-27.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿557
$10.97 Ft 3,565
50.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿90.1
$6.08 Ft 1,975
-56.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿304
$13.42 Ft 4,360
-32.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.9
$2.43 Ft 789
-1.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿35.12
$2.08 Ft 677
-50.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.04 Ft 663
-18.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.6
$3.90 Ft 1,267
-60.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.75
$1.17 Ft 381
5.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.65
$1.24 Ft 402
-12.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.70
$1.68 Ft 544
-54.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.34
$0.48 Ft 157
6.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿139
$7.95 Ft 2,582
-48.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿605
$6.25 Ft 2,031
186.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.8
$1.21 Ft 393
33.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿95.2
$1.56 Ft 506
80.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.52
$1.24 Ft 404
-25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,784
$26.60 Ft 8,643
98.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.69
$3.12 Ft 1,013
-62.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.78
$1.50 Ft 487
-88.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿61.1
$18.34 Ft 5,958
-90.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.67
$1.90 Ft 619
-22.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿708.7K
$32.3K Ft 10.5M
-34.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿894.4K
$35.3K Ft 11.5M
-24.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,110
$153 Ft 49.7K
-59.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿391
$32.45 Ft 10.5K
-64.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿685
$27.12 Ft 8,814
-25.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,278
$51.2 Ft 16.7K
-26.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿125
$18.35 Ft 5,964
-79.84%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿220
$7.71 Ft 2,505
-15.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.5K
$248 Ft 80.5K
193.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿559.0K
$7,707 Ft 2.5M
115.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,806
$88.5 Ft 28.8K
-39.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿836
$27.54 Ft 8,949
-9.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,049
$96.5 Ft 31.4K
-6.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,428
$107 Ft 34.7K
-32.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$535 Ft 173.7K
-10.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.5K
$397 Ft 129.1K
-22.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.7K
$755 Ft 245.4K
40.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.2K
$636 Ft 206.6K
3.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.5K
$3,163 Ft 1.0M
-23.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.3K
$2,493 Ft 810.1K
-35.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Kalocsa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
8.25
-32.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kalocsa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Kalocsa
$397 28.2% $87
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Kalocsa
$245 3.5% $8.3
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Kalocsa
$144 32.7% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Kalocsa
$213 125% $118
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Kalocsa
$187 144% $110
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Kalocsa
$42 28.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Kalocsa
$67 31% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $535 in Kalocsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Kalocsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $245 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇭🇺 Kalocsa
🕒 Local time
17:30 5:30 PM
11:30 11:30 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
14,433
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Kalocsa 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Kalocsa

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 Kalocsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Kalocsa?
Kalocsa costs about 38% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Kalocsa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,942 in Kalocsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Kalocsa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $535 in Kalocsa.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Kalocsa?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $248 in Kalocsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Kalocsa?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Kalocsa, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Kalocsa?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,294 in Kalocsa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Kalocsa?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,294 in Kalocsa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Kalocsa?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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