Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Suwalki

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,491 in Suwalki, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Suwalki
Learn more

Suwalki Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Suwalki

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,491 in Suwalki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Suwalki $1,491

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,038 in Suwalki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Suwalki $2,038

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,585 in Suwalki, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Suwalki $2,585

Chiang Mai is about 37% cheaper than Suwalki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Suwalki is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$5.18 zł 20.21

-58.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$20.65 zł 80.6

-9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.94 zł 34.87

-37.36%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.29 zł 12.83

-49.54%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.92 zł 3.60

-29.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$2.19 zł 8.54

-86.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$4.52 zł 17.64

-48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.96 zł 19.35

-26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.97 zł 3.77

108.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.87 zł 3.39

62.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.10 zł 4.30

26.36%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.66 zł 10.38

-10.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.80 zł 30.43

111.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.21 zł 20.32

-48.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$6.37 zł 24.86

41.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$0.73 zł 2.86

228.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.68 zł 6.55

-38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.67 zł 6.52

-0.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.03 zł 15.74

-61.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.53 zł 2.06

133.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.91 zł 3.54

19.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.12 zł 4.38

-32.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.37 zł 1.43

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.24 zł 24.36

-33.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$6.43 zł 25.09

178.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.14 zł 4.45

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.72 zł 6.72

63.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.04 zł 4.06

-10.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$30.22 zł 118

75.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.60 zł 10.15

-54.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.25 zł 4.88

-86.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$12.48 zł 48.68

-85.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.70 zł 6.63

-13.53%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$30.0K zł 117.1K

-29.97%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$29.9K zł 116.6K

-11.28%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$346 zł 1,350

-81.91%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$8.97 zł 35.01

29.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$15.78 zł 61.6

28.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$38.42 zł 150

-1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$21.85 zł 85.3

-83.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$9.05 zł 35.30

-28.07%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$595 zł 2,320

22.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$14.6K zł 57.0K

13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$107 zł 419

-50.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$38.72 zł 151

-35.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$105 zł 409

-13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$113 zł 441

-36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$592 zł 2,311

-18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$528 zł 2,059

-41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$969 zł 3,781

9.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$811 zł 3,165

-18.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$2,953 zł 11.5K

-18.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$2,184 zł 8,523

-26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,446 zł 5,643

-58.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.69

-16.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Suwalki: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Suwalki

$528 35.4% 70.3% $218

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Suwalki

$177 11.9% 25.3% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Suwalki

$164 11% 51.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Suwalki

$371 24.9% 292% $276

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Suwalki

$153 10.2% 99.4% $76

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Suwalki

$43 2.9% 26.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Suwalki

$57 3.8% 11% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $592 in Suwalki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Suwalki are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Suwalki. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $177 in Suwalki – so Suwalki wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Suwalki

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

69,575

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.39 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Suwalki 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Suwalki

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 Suwalki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suwalki costs about 59% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,237 in Suwalki. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $592 in Suwalki.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $595 in Suwalki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Suwalki – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,491 in Suwalki. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,491 in Suwalki. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Suwalki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.