Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,703 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,703

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,703 in Olsztyn, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Olsztyn $1,703

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,449 in Olsztyn, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Olsztyn $2,449

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,196 in Olsztyn, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Olsztyn $3,196

Chiang Mai is about 45% cheaper than Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Olsztyn is 26% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$12.63 zł 49.27

-83.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$50.3 zł 196

-62.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.70 zł 33.94

-35.63%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.29 zł 12.82

-49.54%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$2.48 zł 9.66

-73.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.85 zł 7.21

-83.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$3.09 zł 12.04

-24.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.75 zł 14.64

-2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.02 zł 3.99

98.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.25 zł 4.88

12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.38 zł 5.37

0.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$3.87 zł 15.11

-38.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$9.61 zł 37.51

71.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$7.55 zł 29.47

-64.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$14.51 zł 56.6

-37.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.19 zł 4.64

101.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.66 zł 6.46

-37.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.82 zł 7.08

-8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$3.44 zł 13.42

-54.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.91 zł 3.55

36.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.18 zł 4.61

-7.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.34 zł 5.24

-43.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.72 zł 2.81

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.49 zł 21.40

-24.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$7.81 zł 30.47

129.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.13 zł 4.42

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.56 zł 6.09

80.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.04 zł 4.05

-10.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$25.18 zł 98.3

110.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$1.98 zł 7.72

-40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.73 zł 2.85

-76.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$10.27 zł 40.07

-82.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.64 zł 6.40

-10.37%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$31.2K zł 121.9K

-32.76%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$28.9K zł 112.8K

-8.30%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$336 zł 1,312

-81.40%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$9.64 zł 37.62

20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$18.98 zł 74.1

6.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$45.06 zł 176

-15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$22.38 zł 87.3

-83.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$8.70 zł 33.96

-25.17%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$374 zł 1,458

94.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$14.0K zł 54.6K

18.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$98.8 zł 385

-45.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$47.62 zł 186

-47.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$99.9 zł 390

-9.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$104 zł 404

-30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$820 zł 3,198

-41.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$638 zł 2,491

-51.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$1,308 zł 5,104

-19.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,025 zł 3,998

-35.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$3,616 zł 14.1K

-33.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$2,519 zł 9,827

-36.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,491 zł 5,816

-60.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.52

-25.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Olsztyn

$638 37.5% 106% $328

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Olsztyn

$238 14% 0.5% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Olsztyn

$157 9.2% 45.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Olsztyn

$365 21.4% 286% $270

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Olsztyn

$207 12.1% 170% $130

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Olsztyn

$35 2.1% 40.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Olsztyn

$62 3.7% 22.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $820 in Olsztyn. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Olsztyn are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $50 in Olsztyn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

01:57 1:57 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

174,675

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Olsztyn 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Olsztyn

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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olsztyn costs about 82% 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 $2,554 in Olsztyn. 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 $481 there versus $820 in Olsztyn.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $50 in Olsztyn. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Olsztyn. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,703 in Olsztyn. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,703 in Olsztyn. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Olsztyn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.