Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Debrecen and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,431 in Debrecen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Debrecen
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Debrecen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Debrecen

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,431

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Debrecen and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,431 per month in Debrecen vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Debrecen $1,431
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,252 per month in Debrecen vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Debrecen $2,252
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,073 per month in Debrecen vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Debrecen $3,073
Chiang Mai $1,979

Debrecen costs about 53% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Debrecen sits 5% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 Ft 4,494

$2.24 ฿75.7

508.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.04 Ft 15.8K

$19.00 ฿642

152.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 Ft 3,123

$5.55 ฿188

70.63%

Cappuccino

$2.34 Ft 771

$1.67 ฿56.6

40.12%

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

$1.59 Ft 524

$0.64 ฿21.56

148.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 Ft 348

$0.31 ฿10.32

238.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 Ft 599

$2.36 ฿79.6

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 Ft 735

$3.66 ฿124

-39.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Ft 412

$1.95 ฿65.8

-35.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 Ft 495

$1.44 ฿48.51

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 790

$1.33 ฿45.07

80.45%

Eggs

$3.60 Ft 1,187

$2.28 ฿77.1

57.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 Ft 3,402

$16.45 ฿556

-37.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 Ft 2,297

$2.78 ฿94.0

150.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 Ft 5,079

$9.31 ฿314

65.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 Ft 674

$2.35 ฿79.5

-13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 Ft 736

$0.97 ฿32.82

129.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 Ft 667

$1.60 ฿53.9

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 Ft 1,166

$1.50 ฿50.7

136.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 Ft 298

$1.28 ฿43.15

-29.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 Ft 415

$1.10 ฿37.22

14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 Ft 498

$0.71 ฿23.84

112.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 Ft 187

$0.49 ฿16.38

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 Ft 2,368

$4.14 ฿140

73.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.17 Ft 1,374

$17.52 ฿592

-76.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 407

$1.61 ฿54.5

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 Ft 698

$2.78 ฿94.0

-23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 Ft 516

$0.87 ฿29.33

80.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.09 Ft 8,602

$54.1 ฿1,827

-51.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 Ft 1,081

$1.16 ฿39.08

182.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 Ft 465

$0.53 ฿17.82

166.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.34 Ft 4,067

$2.42 ฿81.8

409.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 Ft 623

$1.45 ฿48.93

30.34%

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

$26.9K Ft 8.9M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

27.73%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

26.60%

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

$154 Ft 50.8K

$62.2 ฿2,100

147.77%

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

$26.21 Ft 8,642

$12.17 ฿411

115.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 Ft 7,075

$20.12 ฿680

6.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.4 Ft 17.9K

$37.31 ฿1,260

45.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.85 Ft 2,589

$3.77 ฿127

108.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 Ft 3,218

$6.49 ฿219

50.39%

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

$410 Ft 135.2K

$736 ฿24.9K

-44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K Ft 3.6M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-27.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 Ft 28.9K

$53.4 ฿1,802

64.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.34 Ft 11.0K

$24.64 ฿832

35.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 Ft 28.2K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-6.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 Ft 33.3K

$71.9 ฿2,429

40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 Ft 225.2K

$482 ฿16.3K

41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 Ft 176.5K

$309 ฿10.4K

73.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 Ft 461.4K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

39.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 Ft 352.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

68.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 Ft 1.1M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

37.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,498 Ft 823.5K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

57.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,236 Ft 407.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

109.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

5.57

23.88%

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

Last update for Debrecen: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Debrecen

$535 37.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 42.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Debrecen

$250 17.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 6.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Debrecen

$202 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 53.2% $107

Eating Out

Debrecen

$190 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 59.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Debrecen

$138 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 21.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Debrecen

$74 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 32% $24

Getting Around

Debrecen

$43 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 43.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $683 in Debrecen versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Debrecen are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Debrecen versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Debrecen

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

03:48 3:48 AM

6 h ahead of Debrecen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,704

127,240

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 330 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.03 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Debrecen Chiang Mai 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Debrecen
Chiang Mai

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

Debrecen vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Debrecen 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 $2,147 per month in Debrecen and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $683 in Debrecen.

Kindergarten costs $410 per month in Debrecen and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Debrecen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,431 in Debrecen and $936 in Chiang Mai. 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 $1,431 in Debrecen. 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, Debrecen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.