Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Novy Jicin

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,646 in Novy Jicin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Novy Jicin
Learn more

Novy Jicin Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Novy Jicin

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Novy Jicin

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,646 in Novy Jicin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Novy Jicin $1,646

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,347 in Novy Jicin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Novy Jicin $2,347

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,049 in Novy Jicin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Novy Jicin $3,049

Chiang Mai is about 44% cheaper than Novy Jicin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Novy Jicin is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.89 Kč 192

-74.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$45.27 Kč 979

-56.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.91 Kč 193

-37.04%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.36 Kč 72.6

-50.60%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.65 Kč 35.72

-57.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.28 Kč 27.70

-75.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.84 Kč 39.77

30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.79 Kč 60.2

32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.16 Kč 25.05

68.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.44 Kč 31.19

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.29 Kč 49.50

-42.79%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.59 Kč 77.7

-39.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$12.84 Kč 278

29.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$9.24 Kč 200

-70.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$16.18 Kč 350

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.79 Kč 38.63

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.77 Kč 38.26

-41.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.12 Kč 45.74

-23.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.32 Kč 71.7

-54.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.01 Kč 21.87

27.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.08 Kč 23.38

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.56 Kč 33.80

-53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.76 Kč 16.47

-30.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$7.31 Kč 158

-41.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.07 Kč 153

153.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.42 Kč 9.17

276.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.71 Kč 36.98

66.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.12 Kč 24.11

-23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$24.43 Kč 528

118.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.81 Kč 60.8

-56.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.88 Kč 40.70

-69.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$16.51 Kč 357

-85.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.87 Kč 40.34

-22.99%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.6K Kč 661.6K

-32.24%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$29.3K Kč 632.7K

-8.39%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$297 Kč 6,420

-79.00%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$22.18 Kč 480

-45.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.74 Kč 405

6.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$55.8 Kč 1,206

-33.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$16.89 Kč 365

-77.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.00 Kč 151

-7.14%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$229 Kč 4,947

246.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.7K Kč 252.2K

26.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$85.2 Kč 1,843

-36.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$37.56 Kč 812

-34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$101 Kč 2,186

-10.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$119 Kč 2,578

-40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$721 Kč 15.6K

-36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$611 Kč 13.2K

-51.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,218 Kč 26.3K

-25.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$915 Kč 19.8K

-39.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$4,600 Kč 99.5K

-58.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$3,465 Kč 74.9K

-58.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,603 Kč 34.7K

-63.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.67

19.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Novy Jicin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Novy Jicin

$611 37.1% 105% $313

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Novy Jicin

$268 16.3% 13.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Novy Jicin

$154 9.4% 42.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Novy Jicin

$338 20.5% 258% $243

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Novy Jicin

$165 10% 110% $86

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Novy Jicin

$41 2.5% 32.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Novy Jicin

$70 4.2% 39.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $721 in Novy Jicin. 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 171% higher in Novy Jicin, 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 $45.00 in Novy Jicin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $268 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇿 Novy Jicin

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

24,295

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, 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).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Novy Jicin 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Novy Jicin

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 Novy Jicin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novy Jicin costs about 78% 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 $2,469 in Novy Jicin. 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 $229 in Novy Jicin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Novy Jicin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Novy Jicin at $1,646. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novy Jicin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,646 in Novy Jicin. 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, Novy Jicin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.