Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Torun

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,295 in Torun, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Torun
Learn more

Torun Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Torun

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,295

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,295 in Torun, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Torun $1,295

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,886 in Torun, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Torun $1,886

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,477 in Torun, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Torun $2,477

Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper than Torun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Torun are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Torun 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$9.97 zł 39.32

-77.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$51.7 zł 204

-63.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.01 zł 35.53

-38.40%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.55 zł 14.01

-52.96%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$2.08 zł 8.22

-69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$1.62 zł 6.41

-80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.57 zł 10.14

-8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.14 zł 16.33

-11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.93 zł 3.65

109.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.20 zł 4.73

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.62 zł 6.39

-17.90%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.90 zł 11.43

-21.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.69 zł 30.34

113.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.92 zł 23.35

-53.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.87 zł 54.7

-32.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.07 zł 4.23

119.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.65 zł 6.51

-41.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.56 zł 6.14

2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.29 zł 13.00

-54.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.91 zł 3.60

40.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.38 zł 5.43

-20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.44 zł 5.68

-50.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.55 zł 2.18

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.55 zł 17.97

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.96 zł 27.45

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.50 zł 5.92

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.15 zł 8.48

29.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.11 zł 4.38

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$25.33 zł 99.9

113.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$1.99 zł 7.87

-41.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$1.01 zł 3.97

-47.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$6.37 zł 25.11

-62.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.60 zł 6.30

-9.38%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$30.3K zł 119.5K

-30.46%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$27.0K zł 106.7K

-0.40%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$183 zł 723

-66.08%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.31 zł 40.68

18.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$16.69 zł 65.8

20.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$38.37 zł 151

-2.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$21.88 zł 86.3

-82.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.70 zł 30.37

-15.71%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$241 zł 949

205.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$4,979 zł 19.6K

196.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$86.1 zł 340

-38.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$38.92 zł 154

-36.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$84.4 zł 333

8.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$116 zł 456

-37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$528 zł 2,084

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$448 zł 1,767

-31.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$848 zł 3,345

18.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$595 zł 2,348

6.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$3,299 zł 13.0K

-28.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,193 zł 8,651

-27.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,748 zł 6,896

-66.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.21

-10.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Torun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Torun

$448 34.6% 45% $139

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Torun

$215 16.6% 8.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Torun

$146 11.3% 34.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Torun

$210 16.2% 123% $116

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Torun

$185 14.3% 139% $108

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Torun

$37 2.8% 40% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Torun

$54 4.2% 6.9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $528 in Torun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Torun are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Torun. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $215 in Torun – so Torun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Torun

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

17:08 5:08 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

196,935

💱 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.94 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Torun 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Torun

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 Torun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Torun costs about 38% 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 $1,943 in Torun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $528 in Torun. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $241 in Torun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Torun – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,295 in Torun. 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 $1,295 in Torun. 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, Torun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.