Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rybnik

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,394 in Rybnik, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rybnik, Poland
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Rybnik
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,394
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,394 in Rybnik, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Rybnik $1,394

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,045 in Rybnik, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Rybnik $2,045

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,697 in Rybnik, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Rybnik $2,697

Chiang Mai is about 33% cheaper than Rybnik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Rybnik is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$10.21 zł 40.36
-78.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$45.59 zł 180
-58.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$9.08 zł 35.88
-38.88%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$3.22 zł 12.73
-48.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.85 zł 7.31
-65.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$1.94 zł 7.66
-84.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$3.80 zł 15.00
-37.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$4.18 zł 16.51
-12.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.09 zł 4.30
78.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$1.97 zł 7.78
-26.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$2.13 zł 8.41
-37.56%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$4.13 zł 16.34
-44.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$8.21 zł 32.45
100.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$8.46 zł 33.43
-67.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$15.21 zł 60.1
-38.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$1.26 zł 4.97
86.51%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.82 zł 7.21
-46.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.80 zł 7.13
-11.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$3.78 zł 14.94
-60.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$1.04 zł 4.10
23.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$1.05 zł 4.13
4.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$1.54 zł 6.08
-53.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.72 zł 2.84
-31.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$6.21 zł 24.56
-33.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$6.24 zł 24.66
180.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.14 zł 4.49
41.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.50 zł 5.94
85.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$1.28 zł 5.07
-32.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$21.36 zł 84.4
153.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$2.24 zł 8.84
-48.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.91 zł 3.62
-41.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$12.72 zł 50.3
-80.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.72 zł 6.80
-15.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$31.0K zł 122.7K
-32.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$29.1K zł 115.2K
-7.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$242 zł 957
-74.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$9.43 zł 37.29
29.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$19.94 zł 78.8
0.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$39.26 zł 155
-4.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$16.31 zł 64.5
-76.89%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.43 zł 21.45
19.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$577 zł 2,280
27.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$14.1K zł 55.9K
4.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$93.0 zł 368
-42.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$42.93 zł 170
-42.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$78.4 zł 310
16.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$113 zł 447
-36.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$557 zł 2,202
-13.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$449 zł 1,773
-31.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$850 zł 3,359
18.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$702 zł 2,774
-9.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$1,733 zł 6,852
36.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$1,498 zł 5,922
6.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Rybnik
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$1,309 zł 5,174
-54.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.67
-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rybnik: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Rybnik
$449 45.2% $140
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Rybnik
$253 7.8% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Rybnik
$147 35.6% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Rybnik
$272 188% $177
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Rybnik
$190 145% $112
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Rybnik
$33 45.7% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Rybnik
$50 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $557 in Rybnik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rybnik are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $46 in Rybnik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $253 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇵🇱 Rybnik
🕒 Local time
15:07 3:07 PM
09:07 9:07 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
142,510
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.95 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Rybnik 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Rybnik

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 Rybnik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Rybnik?
Rybnik costs about 49% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Rybnik?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,090 in Rybnik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Rybnik?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $557 in Rybnik.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Rybnik?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $577 in Rybnik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Rybnik?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Rybnik, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Rybnik?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,394 in Rybnik. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Rybnik?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,394 in Rybnik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Rybnik?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Rybnik?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rybnik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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