Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pecs

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,372 in Pecs, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Pecs
Learn more

Pecs Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pecs

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,372 in Pecs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pecs $1,372

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,140 in Pecs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pecs $2,140

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,907 in Pecs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pecs $2,907

Chiang Mai is about 32% cheaper than Pecs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$11.24 Ft 3,707

-80.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$61.8 Ft 20.4K

-69.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.94 Ft 2,949

-37.92%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.48 Ft 818

-32.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.29 Ft 426

-50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.28 Ft 423

-75.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.73 Ft 570

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.26 Ft 744

61.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.18 Ft 389

65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.63 Ft 536

-11.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.38 Ft 784

-44.12%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.21 Ft 1,058

-28.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$10.08 Ft 3,323

63.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.78 Ft 2,235

-59.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.27 Ft 5,363

-42.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.35 Ft 774

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.22 Ft 732

-56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.53 Ft 833

-36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.99 Ft 1,315

-62.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.08 Ft 357

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.39 Ft 457

-20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.87 Ft 615

-62.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.58 Ft 192

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$8.97 Ft 2,957

-53.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$4.60 Ft 1,518

280.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.36 Ft 449

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.61 Ft 860

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.55 Ft 512

-43.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$23.23 Ft 7,659

132.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.30 Ft 1,087

-64.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.44 Ft 473

-63.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$24.43 Ft 8,055

-90.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.78 Ft 588

-18.54%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$27.5K Ft 9.1M

-23.55%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$35.9K Ft 11.8M

-24.87%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$168 Ft 55.3K

-62.93%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$20.86 Ft 6,876

-41.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$20.93 Ft 6,901

-3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$50.4 Ft 16.6K

-25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.59 Ft 6,128

-79.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.58 Ft 2,827

-24.36%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$420 Ft 138.4K

75.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,652 Ft 2.5M

92.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$99.3 Ft 32.7K

-46.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$51.0 Ft 16.8K

-51.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$96.9 Ft 32.0K

-5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$110 Ft 36.2K

-34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$635 Ft 209.3K

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$464 Ft 153.1K

-33.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,133 Ft 373.7K

-11.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$812 Ft 267.7K

-21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,152 Ft 1.0M

-25.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,595 Ft 855.6K

-38.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,079 Ft 355.7K

-45.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pecs: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pecs

$464 33.8% 50.3% $156

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pecs

$260 19% 11% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pecs

$161 11.7% 47.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pecs

$210 15.3% 122% $115

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pecs

$170 12.4% 119% $92

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pecs

$40 2.9% 34.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pecs

$68 4.9% 34.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $635 in Pecs. 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 83% higher in Pecs. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $62 in Pecs. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $260 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Pecs

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

19:04 7:04 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

140,330

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pecs 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pecs

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 Pecs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pecs costs about 47% 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 $2,058 in Pecs. 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 $482 there versus $635 in Pecs.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $420 in Pecs. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Pecs, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,372 in Pecs. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,372 in Pecs. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Pecs makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.