Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rychnov nad Kněžnou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,585 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Czech Republic
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
$1,585
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Rychnov nad Kněžnou

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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,585 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Rychnov nad Kněžnou $1,585

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,247 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Rychnov nad Kněžnou $2,247

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,909 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Rychnov nad Kněžnou $2,909

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.5
$6.93 Kč 151
-67.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿640
$45.99 Kč 1,003
-58.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$9.36 Kč 204
-40.71%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.4
$2.69 Kč 58.7
-37.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.51
$1.12 Kč 24.38
-42.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.29
$0.58 Kč 12.70
-46.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$1.94 Kč 42.42
21.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿123
$2.31 Kč 50.5
58.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$1.03 Kč 22.37
89.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.41
$1.44 Kč 31.40
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿44.97
$2.24 Kč 48.91
-40.63%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$3.61 Kč 78.8
-36.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿554
$12.47 Kč 272
31.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$8.79 Kč 192
-68.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$16.70 Kč 364
-44.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.3
$1.89 Kč 41.21
24.34%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.75
$1.77 Kč 38.54
-45.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.8
$2.12 Kč 46.20
-24.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$3.40 Kč 74.2
-55.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.06
$1.02 Kč 22.23
25.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.14
$1.05 Kč 22.99
4.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.79
$1.61 Kč 35.21
-55.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.34
$0.61 Kč 13.37
-19.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$7.28 Kč 159
-43.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿590
$4.10 Kč 89.4
327.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.4
$0.94 Kč 20.55
71.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$1.64 Kč 35.78
69.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.27
$1.24 Kč 27.06
-29.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,823
$28.39 Kč 619
90.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.00
$2.67 Kč 58.3
-56.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.78
$1.85 Kč 40.38
-71.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.6
$16.48 Kč 359
-85.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$1.67 Kč 36.33
-13.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿709.7K
$30.3K Kč 660.3K
-30.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.9K
$31.3K Kč 683.3K
-14.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,095
$293 Kč 6,401
-78.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$22.16 Kč 483
-45.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿678
$18.99 Kč 414
5.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,257
$55.6 Kč 1,212
-32.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$16.34 Kč 356
-76.93%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$6.96 Kč 152
-6.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$638 Kč 13.9K
15.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿497.6K
$11.8K Kč 256.5K
25.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,799
$86.6 Kč 1,888
-38.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿830
$27.41 Kč 598
-10.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,083
$102 Kč 2,230
-10.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,424
$120 Kč 2,620
-40.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$720 Kč 15.7K
-33.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$587 Kč 12.8K
-47.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$1,211 Kč 26.4K
-16.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.3K
$845 Kč 18.4K
-25.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.6K
$4,817 Kč 105.1K
-50.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$3,374 Kč 73.6K
-52.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$1,374 Kč 30.0K
-57.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.67
19.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rychnov nad Kněžnou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$587 90.1% $278
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$260 11% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$151 39.3% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$335 254% $240
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$137 76.5% $59
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$45 26.2% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Rychnov nad Kněžnou
$69 38.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $720 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 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou are about 2.3 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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $260 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇿 Rychnov nad Kněžnou
🕒 Local time
14:53 2:53 PM
08:53 8:53 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
10,717
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 21.81 CZK (100 CZK = 4.58 USD). 1 EUR = 24.34 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Rychnov nad Kněžnou 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Rychnov nad Kněžnou

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 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 69% 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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,378 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $720 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $638 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 11% more in Rychnov nad Kněžnou, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,585 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. 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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,585 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
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 Rychnov nad Kněžnou?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rychnov nad Kněžnou makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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