Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zatec

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,232 in Zatec, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Zatec
Learn more

Zatec Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Zatec

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,232 in Zatec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Zatec $1,232

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,931 in Zatec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Zatec $1,931

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,630 in Zatec, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Zatec $2,630

Chiang Mai is about 25% cheaper than Zatec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Zatec are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zatec 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.77 Kč 146

-66.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$18.11 Kč 392

8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.92 Kč 193

-37.11%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.95 Kč 63.9

-43.73%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.71 Kč 15.31

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.88 Kč 18.98

-64.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.33 Kč 50.5

3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.71 Kč 58.5

36.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.83 Kč 17.85

134.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.33 Kč 28.76

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.24 Kč 48.54

-41.52%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.45 Kč 53.0

-11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$5.88 Kč 127

183.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.50 Kč 119

-49.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.07 Kč 153

28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.26 Kč 27.29

89.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.56 Kč 33.84

-33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.06 Kč 44.60

-20.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$3.29 Kč 71.2

-54.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.94 Kč 20.25

37.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.09 Kč 23.63

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.54 Kč 33.38

-53.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.55 Kč 11.99

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.92 Kč 128

-27.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.36 Kč 116

234.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.89 Kč 19.21

77.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.70 Kč 36.86

67.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.33 Kč 7.22

160.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$25.19 Kč 545

111.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.79 Kč 60.4

-56.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.85 Kč 39.96

-69.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$16.44 Kč 355

-85.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.86 Kč 40.18

-22.58%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$31.5K Kč 680.6K

-34.13%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$30.1K Kč 651.7K

-11.07%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$299 Kč 6,474

-79.18%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$22.74 Kč 492

-46.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.72 Kč 405

6.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$54.6 Kč 1,181

-32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$17.30 Kč 374

-78.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$12.95 Kč 280

-49.81%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$726 Kč 15.7K

9.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$11.4K Kč 247.4K

29.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$86.8 Kč 1,877

-38.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$36.82 Kč 796

-33.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$45.55 Kč 985

99.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$120 Kč 2,602

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$360 Kč 7,792

26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$318 Kč 6,886

-6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,210 Kč 26.2K

-24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$928 Kč 20.1K

-40.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$4,620 Kč 99.9K

-58.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$3,448 Kč 74.6K

-58.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,146 Kč 24.8K

-48.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.67

19.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zatec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Zatec

$318 25.9% 6.9% $21

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Zatec

$183 14.9% 22.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Zatec

$130 10.6% 20.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Zatec

$341 27.7% 261% $246

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Zatec

$140 11.4% 77.9% $61

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zatec

$39 3.1% 36.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Zatec

$80 6.5% 60.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $360 in Zatec. 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 94% higher in Zatec, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Zatec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $183 – making Zatec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇿 Zatec

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,522

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CZK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zatec 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zatec

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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zatec costs about 33% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,848 in Zatec. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $726 in Zatec. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Zatec – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Zatec at $1,232. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zatec it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,232 in Zatec. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zatec makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.