Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Krakow

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,806 in Krakow, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Krakow
Learn more

Krakow Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Krakow

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,806 in Krakow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Krakow $1,806

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,604 in Krakow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Krakow $2,604

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,403 in Krakow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Krakow $3,403

Chiang Mai is about 48% cheaper than Krakow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Krakow is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$12.05 zł 47.69

-81.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$50.8 zł 201

-62.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.37 zł 37.09

-40.77%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.08 zł 16.15

-59.07%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.45 zł 9.69

-73.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.33 zł 9.22

-86.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.45 zł 17.63

-46.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.63 zł 18.31

-20.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.11 zł 4.39

75.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.45 zł 5.73

-0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.74 zł 6.90

-23.56%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.82 zł 15.12

-40.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$9.24 zł 36.58

78.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$7.79 zł 30.83

-64.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.17 zł 52.1

-29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.28 zł 5.05

83.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.74 zł 6.90

-44.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.77 zł 7.01

-9.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.10 zł 12.26

-51.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.88 zł 3.48

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.97 zł 3.84

13.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.25 zł 4.95

-43.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.78 zł 3.08

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.28 zł 24.84

-34.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.47 zł 25.61

170.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.18 zł 4.66

36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.65 zł 6.53

68.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.48 zł 5.87

-41.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$34.13 zł 135

58.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.25 zł 8.92

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.04 zł 4.13

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$12.35 zł 48.87

-80.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.66 zł 6.58

-12.65%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$29.8K zł 117.8K

-29.23%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$29.2K zł 115.5K

-7.65%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$332 zł 1,314

-81.28%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.48 zł 33.54

43.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$17.59 zł 69.6

14.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$44.76 zł 177

-16.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$24.52 zł 97.1

-84.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.67 zł 34.31

-25.14%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$449 zł 1,779

63.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$9,675 zł 38.3K

52.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$95.0 zł 376

-43.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$40.05 zł 158

-38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$89.4 zł 354

2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$121 zł 478

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$909 zł 3,595

-46.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$724 zł 2,864

-57.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,490 zł 5,897

-32.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,193 zł 4,721

-46.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$5,323 zł 21.1K

-55.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$3,604 zł 14.3K

-55.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,867 zł 7,388

-68.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.62

-15.86%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Krakow: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Krakow

$724 40.1% 134% $415

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Krakow

$235 13% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Krakow

$155 8.6% 43% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Krakow

$358 19.8% 279% $264

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Krakow

$224 12.4% 189% $147

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Krakow

$48 2.6% 22.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Krakow

$62 3.4% 23.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $909 in Krakow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Krakow are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $51 in Krakow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Krakow

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

19:06 7:06 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

806,201

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Krakow 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Krakow

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 Krakow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krakow costs about 93% 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 $2,708 in Krakow. 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 $909 in Krakow.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $51 in Krakow. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Krakow. 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 $1,806 in Krakow. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,806 in Krakow. 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, Krakow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.