Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Skawina

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,431 in Skawina, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Skawina
Learn more

Skawina Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Skawina

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,431 in Skawina, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Skawina $1,431

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,065 in Skawina, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Skawina $2,065

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,700 in Skawina, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Skawina $2,700

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Skawina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Skawina is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$11.33 zł 44.02

-79.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$37.61 zł 146

-47.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.63 zł 33.53

-34.99%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.07 zł 11.94

-45.93%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.28 zł 8.88

-69.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.49 zł 5.78

-79.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$3.50 zł 13.59

-31.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$4.19 zł 16.27

-11.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.11 zł 4.30

75.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.43 zł 5.55

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.13 zł 4.39

15.93%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.70 zł 14.39

-41.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.92 zł 34.66

86.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.44 zł 25.01

-57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.98 zł 46.53

-23.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.93 zł 3.61

156.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.73 zł 6.72

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.61 zł 6.25

1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.30 zł 8.94

-34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.70 zł 2.72

84.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.90 zł 3.49

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.26 zł 4.91

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.68 zł 2.65

-22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.32 zł 20.69

-18.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.87 zł 26.67

161.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.21 zł 4.70

30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.43 zł 5.56

98.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.04 zł 4.05

-17.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$29.83 zł 116

78.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.33 zł 9.07

-48.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.01 zł 3.91

-43.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$12.17 zł 47.28

-80.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.60 zł 6.21

-10.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.2K zł 117.2K

-31.28%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$28.2K zł 109.4K

-4.80%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$272 zł 1,057

-77.09%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$10.37 zł 40.29

16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$14.95 zł 58.1

33.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$38.44 zł 149

-3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$22.25 zł 86.4

-83.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.80 zł 30.29

-16.67%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$265 zł 1,031

198.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$8,127 zł 31.6K

82.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$71.7 zł 279

-25.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$41.15 zł 160

-40.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$76.3 zł 296

19.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$103 zł 402

-31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$596 zł 2,314

-23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$499 zł 1,941

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$982 zł 3,816

-7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$809 zł 3,142

-31.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,918 zł 11.3K

-33.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,238 zł 8,695

-35.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.62

-15.86%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Skawina: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Skawina

$499 34.9% 67.7% $202

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Skawina

$212 14.8% 9.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Skawina

$132 9.2% 21.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Skawina

$297 20.8% 215% $203

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Skawina

$194 13.6% 147% $116

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Skawina

$41 2.9% 31.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Skawina

$54 3.8% 7.9% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $596 in Skawina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $38.00 in Skawina. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $212 in Skawina – so Skawina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Skawina

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

24,302

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Skawina 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Skawina

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 Skawina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skawina costs about 55% 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 $2,146 in Skawina. 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 $265 in Skawina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Skawina – 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 Skawina at $1,431. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skawina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,431 in Skawina. 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, Skawina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.