Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Swidnica

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,219 in Swidnica, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Swidnica
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Swidnica Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Swidnica

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,219 in Swidnica, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Swidnica $1,219

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,890 in Swidnica, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Swidnica $1,890

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,562 in Swidnica, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Swidnica $2,562

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Swidnica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Swidnica are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Swidnica 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.83 zł 30.99

-71.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$25.29 zł 100

-24.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.04 zł 27.85

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.02 zł 11.96

-44.70%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.13 zł 8.44

-69.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.89 zł 7.47

-83.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.51 zł 9.94

-5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.03 zł 19.89

-27.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.04 zł 4.13

87.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.51 zł 6.00

-4.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.50 zł 5.92

-11.33%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.95 zł 15.63

-42.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$9.28 zł 36.72

77.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.64 zł 26.26

-58.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.86 zł 46.95

-21.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.30 zł 5.15

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.57 zł 6.20

-38.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.68 zł 6.63

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.44 zł 13.63

-56.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.93 zł 3.68

37.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.79 zł 3.11

39.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.45 zł 5.75

-51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.71 zł 2.82

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.04 zł 23.91

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.57 zł 29.96

131.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.19 zł 4.72

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.84 zł 7.30

51.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.09 zł 4.30

-20.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$28.32 zł 112

91.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.58 zł 10.22

-55.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.99 zł 3.92

-46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$10.23 zł 40.47

-76.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.66 zł 6.56

-12.65%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$29.9K zł 118.2K

-29.50%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$29.0K zł 114.7K

-7.05%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$199 zł 788

-68.78%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.55 zł 37.79

27.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$12.49 zł 49.41

61.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$37.52 zł 148

-0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$21.93 zł 86.8

-82.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.98 zł 27.60

-7.02%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$475 zł 1,879

55.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$11.8K zł 46.7K

25.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$92.3 zł 365

-42.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$38.47 zł 152

-35.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$92.7 zł 367

-1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$107 zł 423

-32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$590 zł 2,334

-18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$371 zł 1,470

-16.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$974 zł 3,855

3.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$822 zł 3,252

-22.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,938 zł 11.6K

-19.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,228 zł 8,817

-28.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,020 zł 4,038

-42.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-20.43%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Swidnica: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Swidnica

$371 30.5% 20.2% $62

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Swidnica

$227 18.7% 3% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Swidnica

$149 12.2% 36.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Swidnica

$221 18.2% 134% $127

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Swidnica

$159 13% 105% $81

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Swidnica

$40 3.3% 34.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Swidnica

$51 4.2% 2.4% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $590 in Swidnica. 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 73% higher in Swidnica. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $25 in Swidnica. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Swidnica – so Swidnica wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Swidnica

🕒 Local time

06:18 6:18 AM

00:18 12:18 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

55,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Swidnica 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Swidnica

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 Swidnica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swidnica costs about 30% 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 $1,828 in Swidnica. 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 $482 there versus $590 in Swidnica.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $475 in Swidnica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Swidnica – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,219 in Swidnica. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,219 in Swidnica. 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, Swidnica makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.