Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ruda Slaska

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,408 in Ruda Slaska, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Ruda Slaska
Learn more

Ruda Slaska Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Ruda Slaska

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,408

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ruda Slaska

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,408 in Ruda Slaska, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Ruda Slaska $1,408

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,023 in Ruda Slaska, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Ruda Slaska $2,023

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,638 in Ruda Slaska, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Ruda Slaska $2,638

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Ruda Slaska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Ruda Slaska is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$10.08 zł 39.16

-77.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$35.25 zł 137

-44.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.84 zł 34.35

-36.54%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.46 zł 13.44

-52.02%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.19 zł 8.52

-68.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.85 zł 7.19

-83.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.51 zł 13.65

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$4.53 zł 17.60

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.92 zł 3.56

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.19 zł 4.64

18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.44 zł 5.59

-9.03%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.31 zł 12.85

-34.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.93 zł 30.81

109.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.43 zł 21.09

-49.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$12.14 zł 47.17

-24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.06 zł 4.14

125.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.43 zł 5.57

-27.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.47 zł 5.70

10.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.63 zł 10.22

-42.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.96 zł 3.73

34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.82 zł 3.19

35.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.29 zł 5.02

-44.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.61 zł 2.36

-13.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.79 zł 22.50

-25.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.26 zł 24.32

186.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.00 zł 3.89

58.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.68 zł 6.53

69.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.09 zł 4.22

-21.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$30.04 zł 117

77.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.06 zł 7.99

-41.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.93 zł 3.63

-38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$10.56 zł 41.04

-77.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.69 zł 6.57

-14.79%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.4K zł 118.1K

-31.79%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$26.5K zł 102.9K

1.18%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$267 zł 1,039

-76.70%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$8.01 zł 31.13

51.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$17.38 zł 67.5

14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$38.85 zł 151

-4.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$21.96 zł 85.3

-82.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.14 zł 27.76

-8.96%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$474 zł 1,843

67.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.8K zł 45.9K

25.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$68.9 zł 268

-22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$31.83 zł 124

-22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$90.4 zł 351

0.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$91.7 zł 356

-22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$602 zł 2,340

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$504 zł 1,958

-40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$997 zł 3,872

-8.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$820 zł 3,186

-32.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,882 zł 11.2K

-33.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,245 zł 8,724

-35.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,463 zł 5,682

-59.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.19

-22.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ruda Slaska: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Ruda Slaska

$504 35.8% 69.2% $206

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Ruda Slaska

$198 14.1% 15.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Ruda Slaska

$127 9% 17.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Ruda Slaska

$293 20.8% 210% $199

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Ruda Slaska

$191 13.6% 144% $113

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ruda Slaska

$41 2.9% 32.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ruda Slaska

$53 3.8% 6.2% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $602 in Ruda Slaska. 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 148% higher in Ruda Slaska, 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 $35.00 in Ruda Slaska. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $198 in Ruda Slaska – so Ruda Slaska wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Ruda Slaska

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

135,695

💱 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 Ruda Slaska 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ruda Slaska

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 Ruda Slaska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruda Slaska costs about 52% 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 $2,112 in Ruda Slaska. 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 $474 in Ruda Slaska. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Ruda Slaska – 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 Ruda Slaska at $1,408. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ruda Slaska it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,408 in Ruda Slaska. 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, Ruda Slaska makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.