Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,757 in Zlin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Zlin
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Zlin Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Zlin

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,757 in Zlin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Zlin $1,757

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,402 in Zlin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Zlin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,047 in Zlin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Zlin $3,047

Chiang Mai is about 47% cheaper than Zlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 30% below the global median, while Zlin is 30% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$9.28 Kč 201

-75.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$36.10 Kč 781

-46.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.22 Kč 135

-10.13%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.15 Kč 68.1

-45.40%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.01 Kč 43.36

-68.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.61 Kč 34.92

-79.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.35 Kč 50.8

0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.83 Kč 61.2

37.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.01 Kč 21.93

102.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.25 Kč 26.93

12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.22 Kč 48.10

-42.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.50 Kč 75.7

-35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$13.53 Kč 293

25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$9.65 Kč 209

-71.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$13.95 Kč 302

-32.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.58 Kč 34.27

51.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.74 Kč 37.72

-41.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.01 Kč 43.48

-19.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$3.61 Kč 78.1

-57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.05 Kč 22.65

21.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.92 Kč 19.94

20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.46 Kč 31.63

-50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.64 Kč 13.77

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$7.24 Kč 157

-40.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$6.59 Kč 143

169.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.84 Kč 18.13

94.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.90 Kč 41.03

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.78 Kč 16.89

8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$27.60 Kč 597

95.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.68 Kč 58.0

-56.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.58 Kč 34.22

-63.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$15.53 Kč 336

-84.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.78 Kč 38.44

-18.54%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$30.1K Kč 652.0K

-32.09%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$29.8K Kč 644.1K

-10.98%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$345 Kč 7,468

-81.95%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$20.90 Kč 452

-41.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$19.95 Kč 431

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$50.3 Kč 1,087

-24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$11.45 Kč 248

-67.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$10.57 Kč 229

-36.52%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$254 Kč 5,490

214.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,344 Kč 115.6K

177.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$110 Kč 2,375

-51.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$33.95 Kč 734

-26.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$129 Kč 2,779

-28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$111 Kč 2,394

-33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$791 Kč 17.1K

-41.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$663 Kč 14.3K

-54.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,147 Kč 24.8K

-20.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$898 Kč 19.4K

-38.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$4,936 Kč 106.7K

-61.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$3,422 Kč 74.0K

-57.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,466 Kč 31.7K

-59.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.33

4.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zlin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Zlin

$663 37.7% 118% $358

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Zlin

$260 14.8% 9.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Zlin

$172 9.8% 57.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Zlin

$386 22% 308% $292

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Zlin

$163 9.3% 106% $84

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Zlin

$41 2.4% 32.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Zlin

$71 4.1% 39.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $791 in Zlin. 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 146% higher in Zlin, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $36.00 in Zlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $260 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇿 Zlin

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

75,870

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Zlin 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zlin

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 Zlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zlin costs about 87% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,635 in Zlin. 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 $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $254 in Zlin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Zlin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Zlin at $1,757. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,757 in Zlin. 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, Zlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.