Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Krosno

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,187 in Krosno, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Krosno outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Krosno, Poland
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Krosno
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,187
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,187 in Krosno, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Krosno $1,187

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,641 in Krosno, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Krosno $1,641

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,094 in Krosno, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Krosno $2,094

Chiang Mai is about 21% cheaper than Krosno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Krosno are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Krosno 13% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.5
$6.21 zł 24.37
-63.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿640
$34.97 zł 137
-45.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$5.72 zł 22.44
-2.97%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.4
$2.24 zł 8.77
-25.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.51
$2.23 zł 8.75
-71.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.29
$1.37 zł 5.36
-77.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.4
$2.46 zł 9.64
-4.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿123
$2.70 zł 10.59
35.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.6
$0.98 zł 3.83
98.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.39
$0.95 zł 3.74
51.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿44.96
$0.93 zł 3.67
43.01%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿76.9
$2.58 zł 10.11
-11.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿554
$7.99 zł 31.35
105.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.7
$5.51 zł 21.60
-49.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$13.54 zł 53.1
-31.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.3
$0.77 zł 3.03
205.19%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.75
$1.05 zł 4.10
-7.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.8
$1.24 zł 4.88
29.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.62 zł 10.29
-42.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.05
$0.50 zł 1.95
156.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.13
$0.88 zł 3.44
25.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.78
$0.74 zł 2.92
-4.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.34
$0.52 zł 2.03
-5.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$5.69 zł 22.33
-27.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿590
$5.21 zł 20.46
236.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.4
$0.82 zł 3.22
96.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$1.49 zł 5.83
86.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.26
$1.13 zł 4.43
-23.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,822
$26.54 zł 104
103.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿38.99
$1.74 zł 6.82
-33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.77
$0.72 zł 2.84
-26.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.6
$10.81 zł 42.43
-77.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.81
$1.68 zł 6.60
-13.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿709.5K
$30.7K zł 120.4K
-31.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.7K
$27.5K zł 107.8K
-1.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,095
$114 zł 445
-45.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$6.38 zł 25.04
90.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿678
$16.41 zł 64.4
22.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,257
$30.27 zł 119
23.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$22.73 zł 89.2
-83.41%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$7.54 zł 29.58
-13.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$553 zł 2,168
33.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿497.4K
$12.3K zł 48.1K
20.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,798
$30.13 zł 118
77.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿830
$30.81 zł 121
-20.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,082
$88.3 zł 346
3.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,424
$64.1 zł 251
12.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.2K
$556 zł 2,181
-13.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$563 zł 2,211
-45.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$925 zł 3,631
8.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.3K
$692 zł 2,716
-8.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.6K
$1,660 zł 6,514
42.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.5K
$1,285 zł 5,043
23.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Krosno
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$1,016 zł 3,986
-41.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
7.19
-22.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Krosno: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Krosno
$564 82.4% $255
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Krosno
$184 21.7% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Krosno
$96 11.7% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Krosno
$136 44.3% $42
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Krosno
$126 62.1% $48
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Krosno
$36 40.7% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Krosno
$45 9.8% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $556 in Krosno. 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 72% higher in Krosno. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Krosno. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $184 in Krosno – so Krosno wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇵🇱 Krosno
🕒 Local time
14:52 2:52 PM
08:52 8:52 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
45,715
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3.92 PLN (1 PLN = 0.255 USD). 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Krosno 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Krosno

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 Krosno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Krosno?
Krosno costs about 27% 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 Krosno?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,780 in Krosno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Krosno?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $556 in Krosno.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Krosno?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $553 in Krosno. 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 Krosno?
Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Krosno – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Krosno?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,187 in Krosno. 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 Krosno?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,187 in Krosno. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Krosno?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Krosno?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Krosno makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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