Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Szekszard

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,199 in Szekszard, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Szekszard
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Szekszard Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Szekszard

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,199 in Szekszard, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Szekszard $1,199

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,835 in Szekszard, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Szekszard $1,835

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,471 in Szekszard, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Szekszard $2,471

Chiang Mai is about 22% cheaper than Szekszard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Szekszard are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Szekszard 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$12.17 Ft 3,956

-82.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$46.57 Ft 15.1K

-60.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$9.14 Ft 2,968

-38.73%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.58 Ft 514

5.06%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.96 Ft 638

-66.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$1.18 Ft 384

-74.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$3.15 Ft 1,023

-26.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.79 Ft 908

31.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.14 Ft 372

77.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.45 Ft 472

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$2.44 Ft 792

-43.03%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$3.08 Ft 1,002

-23.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$11.02 Ft 3,583

49.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$6.20 Ft 2,013

-56.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$13.44 Ft 4,368

-32.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.67 Ft 543

43.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.95 Ft 635

-46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.98 Ft 644

-16.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$2.71 Ft 881

-42.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.04 Ft 337

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.24 Ft 404

-12.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$1.69 Ft 550

-55.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.45 Ft 146

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$7.96 Ft 2,586

-48.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$6.12 Ft 1,989

192.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.12 Ft 364

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.59 Ft 515

77.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$1.25 Ft 408

-25.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$30.07 Ft 9,772

75.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$3.12 Ft 1,014

-62.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.57 Ft 509

-89.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$18.41 Ft 5,981

-90.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.92 Ft 625

-23.44%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$32.4K Ft 10.5M

-35.15%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$34.3K Ft 11.2M

-22.78%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$122 Ft 39.7K

-48.78%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$18.34 Ft 5,960

-36.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$23.26 Ft 7,557

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$51.9 Ft 16.8K

-26.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$18.84 Ft 6,123

-80.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$7.21 Ft 2,343

-9.71%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$249 Ft 80.8K

192.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$7,765 Ft 2.5M

113.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$60.9 Ft 19.8K

-12.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$25.00 Ft 8,125

-0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$91.2 Ft 29.6K

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$75.8 Ft 24.6K

-5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$537 Ft 174.4K

-10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$399 Ft 129.6K

-22.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$759 Ft 246.8K

39.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$651 Ft 211.5K

1.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,644 Ft 534.3K

47.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,217 Ft 395.4K

32.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$918 Ft 298.2K

-35.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.25

-32.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Szekszard: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Szekszard

$399 33.3% 28.7% $89

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Szekszard

$233 19.4% 1.6% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Szekszard

$114 9.5% 5.1% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Szekszard

$164 13.7% 73.3% $69

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Szekszard

$178 14.8% 132% $101

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Szekszard

$46 3.8% 21.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Szekszard

$66 5.5% 30.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $537 in Szekszard. 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 54% higher in Szekszard. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $47 in Szekszard. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $233 in Szekszard – so Szekszard wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Szekszard

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

10:50 10:50 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

29,707

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Szekszard 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Szekszard

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 Szekszard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szekszard costs about 28% 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 $1,799 in Szekszard. 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 $537 in Szekszard.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $47 in Szekszard. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Szekszard. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,199 in Szekszard. 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 $1,199 in Szekszard. 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, Szekszard makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.