Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Poznan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,573 in Poznan, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Poznan
Learn more

Poznan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Poznan

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,573 in Poznan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Poznan $1,573

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,214 in Poznan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Poznan $2,214

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,854 in Poznan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Poznan $2,854

Chiang Mai is about 41% cheaper than Poznan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Poznan is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$11.64 zł 46.08

-80.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$51.2 zł 203

-62.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.07 zł 35.89

-38.81%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.34 zł 13.22

-50.00%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.66 zł 6.57

-61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.62 zł 6.42

-80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.02 zł 11.94

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.13 zł 16.35

-11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.88 zł 3.50

121.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.20 zł 4.74

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.37 zł 5.41

-2.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.65 zł 14.44

-37.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.62 zł 34.12

90.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.90 zł 23.34

-52.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.27 zł 52.5

-29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.33 zł 5.26

76.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.59 zł 6.31

-38.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.71 zł 6.78

-6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.38 zł 9.44

-36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.72 zł 2.86

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.00 zł 3.96

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.22 zł 4.85

-41.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.66 zł 2.61

-25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.56 zł 21.98

-25.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.38 zł 29.22

137.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.10 zł 4.35

46.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.44 zł 5.70

93.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.30 zł 5.15

-33.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$30.14 zł 119

79.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.23 zł 8.83

-47.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.03 zł 4.09

-48.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$12.57 zł 49.73

-80.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.60 zł 6.35

-9.38%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$30.3K zł 120.0K

-30.54%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$27.8K zł 110.2K

-3.26%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$296 zł 1,172

-79.00%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.67 zł 30.34

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$18.75 zł 74.2

7.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$41.58 zł 165

-10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$31.03 zł 123

-87.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.68 zł 30.39

-15.49%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$483 zł 1,912

52.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,391 zł 29.2K

99.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$77.2 zł 305

-30.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$37.69 zł 149

-34.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$86.9 zł 344

5.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$108 zł 427

-33.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$784 zł 3,104

-38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$604 zł 2,389

-48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,186 zł 4,695

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$833 zł 3,295

-23.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,636 zł 14.4K

-35.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,589 zł 10.2K

-38.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,704 zł 6,744

-65.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.63

-15.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Poznan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Poznan

$604 38.4% 95.4% $295

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Poznan

$211 13.4% 9.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Poznan

$139 8.9% 28.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Poznan

$322 20.5% 241% $228

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Poznan

$197 12.5% 154% $119

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Poznan

$43 2.7% 30.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Poznan

$57 3.6% 13.2% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $784 in Poznan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Poznan are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $51 in Poznan. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Poznan – so Poznan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Poznan

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

530,464

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Poznan 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Poznan

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 Poznan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poznan costs about 68% 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 $2,360 in Poznan. 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 $784 in Poznan.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $483 in Poznan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Poznan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,573 in Poznan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,573 in Poznan. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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