Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pila

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,279 in Pila, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pila outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Pila
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Pila Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Pila

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,279

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,279 in Pila, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Pila $1,279

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,777 in Pila, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Pila $1,777

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,274 in Pila, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Pila $2,274

Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper than Pila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Pila are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Pila 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.84 zł 34.34

-74.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$17.76 zł 69.0

10.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.38 zł 32.54

-33.05%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.32 zł 9.00

-28.45%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.75 zł 2.90

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.40 zł 5.42

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.06 zł 11.90

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.02 zł 11.72

22.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.92 zł 3.56

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.66 zł 2.58

113.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.06 zł 4.12

23.58%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.38 zł 9.26

-8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.39 zł 24.84

160.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.83 zł 22.67

-52.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$4.97 zł 19.32

83.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.91 zł 3.54

162.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.64 zł 6.37

-37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.60 zł 6.20

1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.82 zł 7.09

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.90 zł 3.48

43.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.04 zł 4.05

6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.05 zł 4.06

-31.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.50 zł 1.94

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.73 zł 18.37

-8.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.40 zł 24.85

180.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.01 zł 3.92

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.29 zł 5.03

120.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.05 zł 4.07

-18.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$30.82 zł 120

72.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.93 zł 7.50

-37.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.92 zł 3.58

-38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$12.60 zł 48.95

-81.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.59 zł 6.18

-9.43%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.2K zł 117.3K

-31.37%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$26.6K zł 103.3K

0.78%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$240 zł 932

-74.01%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$12.34 zł 47.93

-1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$10.84 zł 42.13

83.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$38.01 zł 148

-2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$22.10 zł 85.9

-82.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.06 zł 19.67

28.46%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$332 zł 1,289

138.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,542 zł 29.3K

96.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$68.4 zł 266

-21.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$31.34 zł 122

-21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$58.8 zł 229

54.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$62.5 zł 243

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$602 zł 2,340

-24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$515 zł 2,003

-42.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$993 zł 3,860

-8.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$813 zł 3,160

-31.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,866 zł 11.1K

-32.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,216 zł 8,611

-34.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,099 zł 4,271

-46.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.82

-18.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pila: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Pila

$515 40.3% 73.1% $218

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Pila

$158 12.4% 32.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Pila

$100 7.8% 8% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Pila

$263 20.6% 179% $169

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Pila

$154 12% 95.4% $75

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pila

$42 3.3% 31.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pila

$48 3.8% 3.9% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $602 in Pila. 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 86% higher in Pila, 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 $18.00 in Pila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $158 – making Pila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Pila

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

22:02 10:02 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

72,184

💱 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 Pila 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pila

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 Pila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pila costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,919 in Pila. 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 $332 in Pila. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 49% cheaper in Pila – 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 Pila at $1,279. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pila it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,279 in Pila. 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, Pila makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.