Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,475 in Szczecinek, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
Learn more

Szczecinek Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,475 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Szczecinek $1,475

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,128 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Szczecinek $2,128

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,780 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Szczecinek $2,780

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Szczecinek is 8% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$11.46 zł 45.32

-80.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$43.98 zł 174

-56.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.70 zł 34.38

-36.21%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.46 zł 13.66

-51.73%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.10 zł 4.33

-41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.84 zł 3.32

-63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.07 zł 12.12

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.44 zł 5.70

154.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.89 zł 3.51

119.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.19 zł 4.70

21.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.35 zł 5.35

-1.48%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.48 zł 13.77

-34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.69 zł 30.41

113.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.10 zł 24.10

-54.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.92 zł 51.1

-27.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.23 zł 4.84

91.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.12 zł 4.44

-13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.64 zł 6.49

-2.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.50 zł 9.90

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.78 zł 3.07

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.78 zł 3.09

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.27 zł 5.01

-44.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.70 zł 2.77

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.73 zł 22.65

-27.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.64 zł 30.19

129.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.14 zł 4.52

41.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.42 zł 5.60

95.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.03 zł 4.08

-15.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$30.54 zł 121

77.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.30 zł 9.08

-49.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.04 zł 4.13

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$11.32 zł 44.74

-78.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.44 zł 5.69

0.69%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$31.1K zł 122.8K

-32.19%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$28.4K zł 112.2K

-5.08%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$295 zł 1,165

-78.90%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.67 zł 30.33

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$18.39 zł 72.7

9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$37.56 zł 148

-0.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$23.63 zł 93.4

-84.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.37 zł 29.14

-11.94%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$205 zł 811

258.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,514 zł 29.7K

96.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$77.6 zł 307

-31.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$37.62 zł 149

-34.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$84.3 zł 333

8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$109 zł 432

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$541 zł 2,138

-10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$530 zł 2,096

-41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,031 zł 4,074

-2.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$852 zł 3,369

-25.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,714 zł 10.7K

-12.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,178 zł 8,611

-27.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,255 zł 4,962

-53.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.2

32.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Szczecinek

$530 36% 71.7% $221

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Szczecinek

$206 13.9% 12.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Szczecinek

$139 9.4% 28% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Szczecinek

$321 21.7% 240% $226

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Szczecinek

$185 12.6% 139% $108

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Szczecinek

$42 2.9% 31.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Szczecinek

$52 3.5% 4% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $541 in Szczecinek. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Szczecinek are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $44 in Szczecinek. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $206 in Szczecinek – so Szczecinek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

05:12 5:12 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,705

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.95 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Szczecinek 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Szczecinek

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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szczecinek costs about 58% 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 $2,213 in Szczecinek. 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 $541 in Szczecinek.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $205 in Szczecinek. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Szczecinek – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,475 in Szczecinek. 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 $1,475 in Szczecinek. 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, Szczecinek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.