Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Szolnok

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,112 in Szolnok, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Szolnok
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Szolnok Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Szolnok

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,112 in Szolnok, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Szolnok $1,112

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,701 in Szolnok, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Szolnok $1,701

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,289 in Szolnok, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Szolnok $2,289

Chiang Mai is about 16% cheaper than Szolnok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Szolnok are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Szolnok 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$9.69 Ft 3,153

-78.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$45.84 Ft 14.9K

-59.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.01 Ft 2,606

-30.09%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.42 Ft 787

-31.40%

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

$0.65 ฿21.70

$1.90 Ft 619

-65.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.23

$1.25 Ft 408

-76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.64 Ft 859

-12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.72 Ft 884

34.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$0.90 Ft 294

124.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.22

$1.24 Ft 404

13.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.68

$1.63 Ft 532

-14.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$3.21 Ft 1,043

-26.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$7.61 Ft 2,476

117.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.6

$6.40 Ft 2,083

-58.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$13.25 Ft 4,311

-31.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.45 Ft 470

65.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.92

$1.78 Ft 581

-41.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.51 Ft 492

9.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.44 Ft 794

-36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.51

$0.67 Ft 219

85.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.45

$0.78 Ft 252

39.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.55

$1.04 Ft 338

-26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.35 Ft 113

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.94 Ft 2,259

-40.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$3.71 Ft 1,206

383.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$0.95 Ft 309

70.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.25 Ft 406

125.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.34

$1.02 Ft 331

-8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,774

$25.71 Ft 8,367

105.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.47

$2.83 Ft 922

-58.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$2.25 Ft 733

-92.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$14.49 Ft 4,717

-87.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.39

$1.81 Ft 589

-18.78%

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

$21.0K ฿704.7K

$27.1K Ft 8.8M

-22.53%

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

$26.5K ฿889.3K

$36.6K Ft 11.9M

-27.54%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$130 Ft 42.4K

-52.00%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$29.48 Ft 9,595

-60.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$22.64 Ft 7,367

-10.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,271

$41.76 Ft 13.6K

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$18.71 Ft 6,090

-80.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$3.36 Ft 1,092

93.75%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$153 Ft 49.8K

375.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.9K

$4,933 Ft 1.6M

236.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,796

$83.0 Ft 27.0K

-35.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$50.2 Ft 16.3K

-50.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,032

$89.5 Ft 29.1K

1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,414

$119 Ft 38.9K

-39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$404 Ft 131.5K

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$323 Ft 105.2K

-4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$632 Ft 205.7K

67.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$503 Ft 163.7K

30.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,995 Ft 649.3K

21.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,603 Ft 521.5K

0.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,064 Ft 346.3K

-44.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.69

-27.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Szolnok

$323 29.1% 4.3% $13

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Szolnok

$198 17.8% 16.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Szolnok

$154 13.8% 42.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Szolnok

$182 16.4% 93.1% $88

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Szolnok

$162 14.6% 111% $85

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Szolnok

$44 4% 25.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Szolnok

$48 4.4% 4.8% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $404 in Szolnok. 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 79% higher in Szolnok. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $46 in Szolnok. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $198 in Szolnok – so Szolnok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇺 Szolnok

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

66,426

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.76 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 9, 2026: 1 USD = 33.54 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.4 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 9, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.76 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Szolnok 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Szolnok

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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szolnok costs about 19% 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 $1,668 in Szolnok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Szolnok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $404 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $153 in Szolnok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Szolnok – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,112 in Szolnok. 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 $1,112 in Szolnok. 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, Szolnok makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.