Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koło and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,432 in Koło, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Koło
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Koło Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Koło

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,432

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,432 per month in Koło vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koło $1,432
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,062 per month in Koło vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koło $2,062
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,691 per month in Koło vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Koło $2,691
Chiang Mai $1,914

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

Koło sits 6% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.00 zł 38.85

$2.26 ฿75.4

342.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.72 zł 166

$19.18 ฿641

122.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 zł 33.60

$5.59 ฿187

54.74%

Cappuccino

$3.50 zł 13.58

$1.72 ฿57.6

103.49%

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

$2.07 zł 8.05

$0.64 ฿21.54

223.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 zł 6.24

$0.33 ฿11.18

387.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 zł 14.15

$2.36 ฿78.7

54.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 zł 14.71

$3.90 ฿130

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 zł 3.92

$2.05 ฿68.6

-50.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 zł 5.03

$1.40 ฿46.70

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.52

$1.28 ฿42.89

10.94%

Eggs

$3.27 zł 12.70

$2.25 ฿75.3

45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 zł 32.60

$16.94 ฿566

-50.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 zł 22.11

$2.74 ฿91.6

107.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.91 zł 46.27

$9.36 ฿313

27.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 zł 4.44

$2.40 ฿80.3

-52.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 zł 6.47

$1.01 ฿33.92

64.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 zł 6.40

$1.61 ฿53.9

2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 zł 10.24

$1.52 ฿50.7

73.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 zł 3.21

$1.28 ฿42.90

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.05

$1.11 ฿37.22

-6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 zł 5.11

$0.72 ฿24.09

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.63

$0.52 ฿17.54

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 zł 20.21

$4.33 ฿145

20.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 zł 25.41

$17.73 ฿593

-63.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 zł 4.39

$1.63 ฿54.4

-30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 zł 5.86

$2.85 ฿95.3

-47.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 zł 4.19

$0.85 ฿28.31

27.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.76 zł 112

$53.9 ฿1,801

-46.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 zł 8.10

$1.17 ฿39.18

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 zł 2.56

$0.57 ฿19.00

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.85 zł 38.28

$2.37 ฿79.2

315.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 zł 6.16

$1.45 ฿48.32

9.66%

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

$32.7K zł 126.9K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

59.55%

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

$24.3K zł 94.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-8.50%

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

$274 zł 1,064

$62.3 ฿2,083

339.56%

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

$8.76 zł 34.05

$12.27 ฿410

-28.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.98 zł 66.0

$19.97 ฿668

-14.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.28 zł 141

$37.91 ฿1,267

-4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.37 zł 86.9

$3.76 ฿126

494.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 zł 25.71

$6.71 ฿224

-1.34%

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

$338 zł 1,314

$797 ฿26.6K

-57.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,118 zł 35.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-38.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.9 zł 322

$53.3 ฿1,780

55.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 zł 148

$25.05 ฿837

51.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 zł 308

$91.6 ฿3,062

-13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 zł 385

$73.5 ฿2,455

34.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 zł 2,327

$464 ฿15.5K

29.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 zł 2,001

$305 ฿10.2K

69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 zł 3,899

$915 ฿30.6K

9.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 zł 3,153

$552 ฿18.5K

46.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,832 zł 11.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

48.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 zł 8,953

$1,438 ฿48.1K

60.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.57

19.93%

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

Last update for Koło: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koło

$515 36%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 40.9% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koło

$300 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 68.4% $205

Groceries & Markets

Koło

$206 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 15.3% $32

Eating Out

Koło

$188 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 58.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Koło

$135 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 18.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Koło

$50 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 3.7% $1.8

Getting Around

Koło

$38 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 59.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $599 in Koło versus $464 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Koło versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $206 in Koło vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Koło wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Koło

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

05:30 5:30 AM

5 h ahead of Koło

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,035

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

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).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Koło Chiang Mai 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Koło
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

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

Koło 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 $2,148 per month in Koło and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Koło and $797 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 15% cheaper in Koło – 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 $938, than in Koło at $1,432. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Koło it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,432 in Koło. 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, Koło makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.