Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elblag and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,457 in Elblag, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Elblag
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Elblag Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Elblag

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,457

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elblag 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 Elblag and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,457 per month in Elblag vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elblag $1,457
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Elblag vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elblag $2,110
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,762 per month in Elblag vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Elblag $2,762
Chiang Mai $1,979

Elblag costs about 56% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Elblag sits 7% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 zł 47.82

$2.24 ฿75.6

440.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.08 zł 107

$19.00 ฿641

42.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 zł 29.52

$5.55 ฿187

34.59%

Cappuccino

$3.53 zł 13.94

$1.67 ฿56.5

111.38%

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

$2.17 zł 8.58

$0.64 ฿21.55

239.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 zł 6.50

$0.31 ฿10.31

429.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 zł 12.38

$2.36 ฿79.6

32.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 zł 14.85

$3.66 ฿124

2.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 zł 3.93

$1.95 ฿65.8

-49.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 zł 6.40

$1.44 ฿48.48

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.60

$1.33 ฿45.04

-31.58%

Eggs

$3.70 zł 14.63

$2.28 ฿77.1

62.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 zł 35.22

$16.45 ฿555

-45.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 zł 27.43

$2.78 ฿93.9

149.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.75 zł 46.47

$9.31 ฿314

26.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 zł 5.36

$2.35 ฿79.4

-42.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 zł 6.83

$0.97 ฿32.80

78.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.34

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 zł 12.63

$1.50 ฿50.6

113.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 zł 2.95

$1.28 ฿43.12

-41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 zł 5.20

$1.10 ฿37.19

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 zł 4.56

$0.71 ฿23.82

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 zł 2.11

$0.49 ฿16.37

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 zł 16.63

$4.14 ฿140

1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 zł 25.69

$17.52 ฿591

-62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 zł 2.08

$1.61 ฿54.5

-67.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 zł 5.34

$2.78 ฿94.0

-51.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 zł 3.98

$0.87 ฿29.31

16.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.69 zł 97.6

$54.1 ฿1,826

-54.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 zł 8.30

$1.16 ฿39.06

81.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 zł 3.10

$0.53 ฿17.80

47.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 zł 40.29

$2.42 ฿81.8

321.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 zł 6.06

$1.45 ฿48.90

5.52%

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

$30.8K zł 121.9K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

46.38%

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

$25.3K zł 100.1K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-5.97%

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

$283 zł 1,120

$62.2 ฿2,098

355.62%

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

$8.14 zł 32.19

$12.17 ฿411

-33.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.81 zł 54.6

$20.12 ฿679

-31.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.10 zł 166

$37.31 ฿1,259

12.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.62 zł 85.5

$3.77 ฿127

473.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 zł 21.60

$6.49 ฿219

-15.72%

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

$323 zł 1,278

$736 ฿24.8K

-56.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,952 zł 7,715

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-86.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 zł 319

$53.4 ฿1,801

51.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 zł 145

$24.64 ฿831

48.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 zł 345

$91.5 ฿3,087

-4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 zł 389

$71.9 ฿2,428

36.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 zł 2,388

$482 ฿16.3K

25.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 zł 2,028

$309 ฿10.4K

66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 zł 3,923

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-1.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 zł 3,540

$633 ฿21.4K

41.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,130 zł 8,420

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 zł 8,791

$1,589 ฿53.6K

39.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,295 zł 5,118

$590 ฿19.9K

119.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.57

23.70%

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

Last update for Elblag: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elblag

$513 35.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 39.8% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elblag

$305 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.1% $211

Groceries & Markets

Elblag

$215 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 9% $19

Eating Out

Elblag

$200 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 61.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Elblag

$136 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 20.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Elblag

$53 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 5.2% $2.8

Getting Around

Elblag

$35 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 76.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $604 in Elblag 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 Elblag are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Elblag versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Elblag vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Elblag wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Elblag

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

6 h ahead of Elblag

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.95 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elblag Chiang Mai 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Elblag
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

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

Elblag costs about 56% 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 $2,186 per month in Elblag 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 $604 in Elblag.

Kindergarten costs $323 per month in Elblag and $736 in Chiang Mai. 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 Elblag – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,457 in Elblag 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 $1,457 in Elblag. 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, Elblag makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.