Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zielona Gora

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,431 in Zielona Gora, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Zielona Gora
Learn more

Zielona Gora Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Zielona Gora

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Zielona Gora

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,431 in Zielona Gora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Zielona Gora $1,431

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,975 in Zielona Gora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Zielona Gora $1,975

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,519 in Zielona Gora, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Zielona Gora $2,519

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Zielona Gora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Zielona Gora is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$9.95 zł 38.82

-78.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$40.99 zł 160

-54.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.32 zł 28.56

-23.50%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.33 zł 12.99

-50.15%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$1.50 zł 5.85

-56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.54 zł 5.99

-80.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$3.65 zł 14.25

-36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.58 zł 10.06

42.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.89 zł 3.49

126.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.42 zł 5.53

-0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.94 zł 3.66

47.87%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$3.47 zł 13.54

-31.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$9.03 zł 35.22

82.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$4.23 zł 16.50

-36.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$10.28 zł 40.09

-12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$0.84 zł 3.29

185.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.47 zł 5.73

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.52 zł 5.95

9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.97 zł 7.67

-20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.78 zł 3.04

58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.16 zł 4.51

-6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.99 zł 3.86

-23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.44 zł 1.71

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.04 zł 19.68

-18.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$5.72 zł 22.30

213.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$0.95 zł 3.70

70.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.34 zł 5.25

110.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.74 zł 2.87

25.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$24.32 zł 94.9

117.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.33 zł 9.11

-49.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.94 zł 3.65

-81.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$10.03 zł 39.15

-81.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.55 zł 6.04

-5.16%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$30.4K zł 118.6K

-30.88%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$27.6K zł 107.6K

-3.89%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$254 zł 989

-75.32%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$7.77 zł 30.30

49.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$16.41 zł 64.0

23.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$36.97 zł 144

2.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$8.70 zł 33.95

-57.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$7.80 zł 30.44

-16.54%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$325 zł 1,267

123.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$7,137 zł 27.8K

132.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$81.6 zł 318

-34.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$35.73 zł 139

-30.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$74.8 zł 292

20.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$102 zł 397

-29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$508 zł 1,982

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$576 zł 2,247

-46.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$925 zł 3,608

14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$768 zł 2,997

-14.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$2,972 zł 11.6K

-18.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$2,206 zł 8,608

-27.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,951 zł 7,613

-69.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.02

-7.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zielona Gora: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Zielona Gora

$576 40.2% 85.8% $266

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Zielona Gora

$182 12.7% 23.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Zielona Gora

$132 9.2% 22.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Zielona Gora

$278 19.4% 194% $183

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Zielona Gora

$177 12.4% 131% $100

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Zielona Gora

$34 2.4% 41.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Zielona Gora

$53 3.7% 3.3% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $508 in Zielona Gora. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Zielona Gora are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $41 in Zielona Gora. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $182 in Zielona Gora – so Zielona Gora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇵🇱 Zielona Gora

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

10:04 10:04 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

118,433

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.228 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.9 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.38 PLN (1 PLN = 0.228 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zielona Gora 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zielona Gora

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 Zielona Gora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zielona Gora costs about 53% 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 $2,147 in Zielona Gora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $508 in Zielona Gora. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $325 in Zielona Gora. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Zielona Gora – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,431 in Zielona Gora. 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 $1,431 in Zielona Gora. 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, Zielona Gora makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.