Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pabianice

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,312 in Pabianice, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Pabianice
Learn more

Pabianice Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Pabianice

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,312 in Pabianice, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Pabianice $1,312

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,953 in Pabianice, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Pabianice $1,953

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,595 in Pabianice, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Pabianice $2,595

Chiang Mai is about 29% cheaper than Pabianice, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Pabianice are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Pabianice 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.84 zł 38.24

-76.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$46.95 zł 182

-58.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.74 zł 33.95

-35.81%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.51 zł 13.63

-52.71%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.02 zł 7.84

-65.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.66 zł 6.43

-81.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.47 zł 9.60

-2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$4.15 zł 16.13

-10.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.93 zł 3.60

109.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.06 zł 4.10

33.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.37 zł 5.33

-4.38%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.90 zł 11.25

-24.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.67 zł 29.82

117.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.95 zł 23.12

-53.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.91 zł 46.28

-23.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.06 zł 4.11

125.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.61 zł 6.25

-36.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.49 zł 5.80

9.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.97 zł 11.52

-49.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.82 zł 3.20

57.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.94 zł 3.65

18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.38 zł 5.35

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.56 zł 2.18

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.56 zł 17.71

-5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.44 zł 25.04

178.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.16 zł 4.52

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.77 zł 6.88

60.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.10 zł 4.27

-21.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$30.35 zł 118

75.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.09 zł 8.11

-42.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.55 zł 2.13

3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.52 zł 25.35

-63.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.53 zł 5.93

-5.88%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.3K zł 117.8K

-31.65%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$26.9K zł 104.4K

-0.30%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$181 zł 704

-65.58%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$8.50 zł 33.02

42.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$16.72 zł 65.0

19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$38.22 zł 148

-3.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$21.71 zł 84.4

-82.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.84 zł 30.46

-17.09%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$245 zł 953

223.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,136 zł 20.0K

188.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$72.7 zł 283

-26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$39.20 zł 152

-37.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$82.2 zł 319

10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$97.8 zł 380

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$595 zł 2,310

-23.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$498 zł 1,936

-40.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$992 zł 3,854

-8.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$810 zł 3,148

-31.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,940 zł 11.4K

-34.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,232 zł 8,672

-35.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$988 zł 3,837

-40.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.21

-10.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pabianice: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Pabianice

$498 38% 67.3% $201

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Pabianice

$200 15.2% 15.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Pabianice

$131 10% 21.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Pabianice

$206 15.7% 119% $112

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Pabianice

$182 13.9% 132% $104

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pabianice

$40 3% 34.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pabianice

$54 4.1% 7.7% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $595 in Pabianice. 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 67% higher in Pabianice, 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 $47.00 in Pabianice. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $200 in Pabianice – so Pabianice wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Pabianice

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

63,479

💱 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 Pabianice 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pabianice

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 Pabianice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pabianice costs about 42% 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 $1,968 in Pabianice. 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 $245 in Pabianice. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Pabianice – 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 Pabianice at $1,312. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pabianice it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,312 in Pabianice. 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, Pabianice makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.