Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,401 in Mlava, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Mlava
Learn more

Mlava Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Mlava

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,401

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,401 in Mlava, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Mlava $1,401

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,989 in Mlava, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Mlava $1,989

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,577 in Mlava, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Mlava $2,577

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Mlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Mlava is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$10.04 zł 39.02

-77.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$25.85 zł 100

-24.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.68 zł 29.86

-26.95%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.50 zł 9.70

-33.60%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.85 zł 7.21

-62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.63 zł 6.34

-80.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.57 zł 10.00

-6.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.73 zł 14.49

-0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.04 zł 4.06

87.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.66 zł 6.44

-15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.91 zł 3.53

43.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.82 zł 14.84

-42.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.77 zł 34.07

89.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.15 zł 27.77

-61.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.70 zł 45.44

-22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.36 zł 5.27

75.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.68 zł 6.52

-38.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.60 zł 6.23

1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.20 zł 12.42

-53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.97 zł 3.78

32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.36 zł 5.29

-18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.10 zł 4.27

-34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.65 zł 2.53

-18.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.80 zł 18.66

-10.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.39 zł 24.82

180.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.05 zł 4.07

50.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.41 zł 5.48

101.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.09 zł 4.22

-21.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$30.12 zł 117

76.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.13 zł 8.28

-43.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.84 zł 3.27

-32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$9.89 zł 38.41

-76.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.60 zł 6.23

-10.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.9K zł 120.1K

-32.94%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$27.7K zł 107.6K

-3.24%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$278 zł 1,081

-77.60%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.20 zł 24.09

95.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.53 zł 29.27

164.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$37.75 zł 147

-1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$22.24 zł 86.4

-83.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.06 zł 19.66

28.46%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$328 zł 1,273

141.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,091 zł 19.8K

190.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$81.4 zł 316

-34.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$36.08 zł 140

-31.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$89.1 zł 346

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$76.4 zł 297

-6.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$600 zł 2,332

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$505 zł 1,961

-40.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$987 zł 3,833

-7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$805 zł 3,130

-31.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,950 zł 11.5K

-34.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,201 zł 8,550

-34.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,021 zł 3,967

-42.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.89

-19.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mlava: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Mlava

$505 36% 69.4% $207

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Mlava

$221 15.8% 6.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Mlava

$127 9.1% 17.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Mlava

$292 20.8% 209% $198

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Mlava

$168 12% 113% $89

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mlava

$41 2.9% 32.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mlava

$48 3.4% 4.4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $600 in Mlava. 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 73% higher in Mlava, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $26.00 in Mlava. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $221 in Mlava – so Mlava wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Mlava

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

00:08 12:08 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

31,130

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Mlava 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mlava

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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mlava costs about 51% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,102 in Mlava. 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 $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $328 in Mlava. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Mlava – 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 $925, than in Mlava at $1,401. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mlava it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,401 in Mlava. 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, Mlava makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.