Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Szekesfehervar

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,089 in Szekesfehervar, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Szekesfehervar
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Szekesfehervar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Szekesfehervar

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,089 in Szekesfehervar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Szekesfehervar $1,089

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,787 in Szekesfehervar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Szekesfehervar $1,787

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,485 in Szekesfehervar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Szekesfehervar $2,485

Chiang Mai is about 14% cheaper than Szekesfehervar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Szekesfehervar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Szekesfehervar 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$9.27 Ft 3,033

-75.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$58.6 Ft 19.2K

-67.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.64 Ft 2,828

-35.76%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.11 Ft 690

-20.85%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.39 Ft 454

-53.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.02 Ft 333

-69.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.00 Ft 656

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.30 Ft 753

59.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.12 Ft 367

74.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.34 Ft 440

7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$2.49 Ft 816

-46.59%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.55 Ft 1,161

-35.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.58 Ft 3,463

55.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.10 Ft 1,998

-54.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$16.10 Ft 5,272

-42.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.11 Ft 691

11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.21 Ft 724

-56.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.97 Ft 646

-18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.09 Ft 1,012

-51.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.02 Ft 334

25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.10 Ft 360

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.64 Ft 536

-56.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.51 Ft 168

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.73 Ft 2,205

-38.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$3.05 Ft 1,000

474.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.27 Ft 415

26.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.05 Ft 672

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.19 Ft 391

-26.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$26.36 Ft 8,628

105.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.94 Ft 961

-60.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.62 Ft 531

-67.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$18.45 Ft 6,039

-86.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.85 Ft 606

-21.62%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$27.1K Ft 8.9M

-22.42%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$29.9K Ft 9.8M

-9.85%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$127 Ft 41.6K

-51.05%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$27.40 Ft 8,969

-55.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$19.40 Ft 6,351

3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$44.83 Ft 14.7K

-16.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.49 Ft 2,781

-23.56%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$243 Ft 79.4K

203.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$6,655 Ft 2.2M

121.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$68.4 Ft 22.4K

-21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$24.45 Ft 8,003

0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$74.6 Ft 24.4K

22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$82.1 Ft 26.9K

-12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$394 Ft 129.1K

22.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$308 Ft 100.8K

0.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$629 Ft 206.0K

59.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$655 Ft 214.4K

-3.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,372 Ft 1.1M

-29.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$3,051 Ft 998.9K

-47.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,489 Ft 487.3K

-60.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Szekesfehervar: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Szekesfehervar

$308 28.3% 0.4% $1.1

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Szekesfehervar

$241 22.2% 2.9% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Szekesfehervar

$112 10.3% 3.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Szekesfehervar

$174 16% 84% $79

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Szekesfehervar

$150 13.7% 92.8% $72

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Szekesfehervar

$42 3.9% 31.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Szekesfehervar

$62 5.7% 23% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $394 in Szekesfehervar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Szekesfehervar are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $59 in Szekesfehervar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $241 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Szekesfehervar

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

96,024

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 327 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.05 USD). 1 EUR = 366 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Szekesfehervar 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Szekesfehervar

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 Szekesfehervar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szekesfehervar costs about 16% 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 $1,633 in Szekesfehervar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szekesfehervar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $243 in Szekesfehervar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Szekesfehervar, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,089 in Szekesfehervar. 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 $1,089 in Szekesfehervar. 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, Szekesfehervar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.