🙂A single person spends $950 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,658 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,362 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,066 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent included.
🙂Chiang Mai is about 43% cheaper than Rychnov nad Kněžnou, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Rychnov nad Kněžnou is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.10฿69.3
$7.03Kč 147
-70.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.84฿656
$45.91Kč 958
-56.79%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.79฿191
$9.39Kč 196
-38.34%
Cappuccino
$1.83฿60.4
$2.97Kč 62.0
-38.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78฿25.61
$1.17Kč 24.50
-33.33%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31฿10.37
$0.61Kč 12.77
-49.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.34฿77.2
$2.00Kč 41.68
17.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70฿122
$2.43Kč 50.7
52.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.03฿67.1
$1.03Kč 21.57
97.09%
White Bread(500g)
$1.60฿52.7
$1.45Kč 30.20
10.34%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.42฿46.75
$2.37Kč 49.42
-40.08%
Eggs
$2.18฿71.9
$3.80Kč 79.3
-42.63%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.91฿526
$13.45Kč 281
18.29%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.07฿102
$9.58Kč 200
-67.95%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.87฿326
$17.30Kč 361
-42.95%
Apples(1kg)
$2.63฿86.8
$1.97Kč 41.12
33.50%
Banana(1kg)
$1.10฿36.19
$1.86Kč 38.74
-40.86%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.63฿53.8
$2.14Kč 44.59
-23.83%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.53฿50.6
$3.49Kč 72.7
-56.16%
Potato(1kg)
$1.24฿41.13
$1.07Kč 22.31
15.89%
Onion(1kg)
$1.13฿37.37
$1.14Kč 23.76
-0.88%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.74฿24.38
$1.68Kč 35.05
-55.95%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50฿16.48
$0.65Kč 13.49
-23.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.28฿141
$7.67Kč 160
-44.20%
Wine(Bottle)
$17.97฿594
$4.41Kč 92.0
307.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70฿56.1
$0.99Kč 20.68
71.72%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90฿95.7
$1.73Kč 36.09
67.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.94฿31.13
$1.22Kč 25.42
-22.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$55.3฿1,827
$25.80Kč 538
114.30%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.23฿40.76
$2.82Kč 58.8
-56.38%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.53฿17.66
$1.88Kč 39.27
-71.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.40฿79.3
$17.02Kč 355
-85.90%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.44฿47.55
$1.72Kč 35.81
-16.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K฿700.2K
$32.8KKč 684.7K
-35.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K฿902.1K
$31.0KKč 647.2K
-11.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$64.9฿2,145
$305Kč 6,355
-78.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.35฿441
$23.64Kč 493
-43.53%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.83฿688
$20.06Kč 419
3.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$40.42฿1,336
$57.1Kč 1,190
-29.15%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.95฿131
$17.89Kč 373
-77.92%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71฿222
$7.36Kč 154
-8.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$787฿26.0K
$786Kč 16.4K
0.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.1K฿499.6K
$12.3KKč 256.0K
23.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.2฿1,858
$90.8Kč 1,894
-38.04%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.95฿824
$29.36Kč 613
-15.02%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$92.7฿3,063
$109Kč 2,269
-14.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.1฿2,482
$127Kč 2,654
-40.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$484฿16.0K
$740Kč 15.4K
-34.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$287฿9,491
$611Kč 12.7K
-52.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$910฿30.1K
$1,248Kč 26.0K
-27.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$531฿17.5K
$981Kč 20.5K
-45.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,980฿65.4K
$4,674Kč 97.5K
-57.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,451฿47.9K
$3,635Kč 75.9K
-60.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$605฿20.0K
$1,425Kč 29.7K
-57.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
4.64
20.04%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026
Last update for Rychnov nad Kněžnou: September 7, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $740 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. 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 135% higher in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, 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 $46.00 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $274 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
Rychnov nad Kněžnou costs about 74% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,487 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
Kindergarten costs $787 per month in Chiang Mai and $786 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. 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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $950, than in Rychnov nad Kněžnou at $1,658. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rychnov nad Kněžnou it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $950 versus $1,658 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rychnov nad Kněžnou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared