Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lodz and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,492 in Lodz, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Lodz
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Lodz Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Lodz

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,492

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,492 per month in Lodz vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lodz $1,492
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $2,191 per month in Lodz vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lodz $2,191
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,889 per month in Lodz vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Lodz $2,889
Chiang Mai $1,903

Lodz costs about 61% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lodz sits 10% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.67 zł 37.97

$2.29 ฿77.2

322.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.77 zł 184

$19.64 ฿663

138.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 zł 34.54

$5.61 ฿189

56.86%

Cappuccino

$3.55 zł 13.95

$1.66 ฿56.1

113.86%

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

$2.80 zł 10.98

$0.70 ฿23.62

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 zł 10.67

$0.31 ฿10.33

777.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 zł 18.28

$2.41 ฿81.2

92.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 zł 20.27

$3.71 ฿125

39.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 zł 3.87

$1.95 ฿65.9

-49.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 zł 4.23

$1.41 ฿47.48

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 zł 5.28

$1.31 ฿44.04

2.29%

Eggs

$3.47 zł 13.61

$2.18 ฿73.6

59.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 zł 41.23

$16.65 ฿562

-36.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 zł 27.17

$2.76 ฿93.1

150.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 zł 47.01

$9.11 ฿307

31.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 zł 4.51

$2.39 ฿80.7

-51.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.54

$1.03 ฿34.59

62.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 zł 9.11

$1.63 ฿54.9

42.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 zł 11.77

$1.50 ฿50.5

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 zł 3.08

$1.29 ฿43.54

-39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.67

$1.11 ฿37.38

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 zł 5.48

$0.72 ฿24.31

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 zł 2.35

$0.53 ฿17.76

13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 zł 22.78

$4.31 ฿145

34.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 zł 26.54

$17.95 ฿605

-62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 zł 4.54

$1.58 ฿53.4

-26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 zł 6.89

$2.84 ฿95.9

-38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 zł 4.31

$0.86 ฿29.14

27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 zł 205

$53.3 ฿1,798

-2.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 zł 6.06

$1.21 ฿40.67

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 zł 2.11

$0.57 ฿19.17

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 zł 36.71

$2.35 ฿79.4

297.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 zł 6.31

$1.44 ฿48.42

11.81%

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

$30.4K zł 119.2K

$20.7K ฿699.4K

46.46%

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

$28.3K zł 111.0K

$26.8K ฿904.2K

5.49%

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

$321 zł 1,259

$62.3 ฿2,103

414.46%

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

$8.43 zł 33.09

$12.11 ฿409

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.64 zł 69.2

$19.94 ฿673

-11.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.34 zł 143

$37.07 ฿1,251

-1.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.84 zł 70.0

$3.78 ฿127

371.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 zł 32.74

$6.50 ฿219

28.31%

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

$511 zł 2,006

$793 ฿26.7K

-35.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K zł 40.1K

$14.8K ฿499.6K

-31.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 zł 288

$53.7 ฿1,813

36.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 zł 159

$24.62 ฿831

64.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 zł 356

$90.9 ฿3,065

-0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 zł 388

$71.1 ฿2,400

39.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 zł 2,352

$455 ฿15.4K

31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 zł 1,851

$298 ฿10.0K

58.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 zł 4,302

$908 ฿30.6K

20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 zł 3,269

$554 ฿18.7K

50.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,108 zł 12.2K

$1,931 ฿65.1K

60.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 zł 9,233

$1,445 ฿48.7K

62.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,627 zł 6,389

$591 ฿19.9K

175.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

5.57

23.34%

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

Last update for Lodz: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lodz

$472 31.6%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 36.8% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lodz

$347 23.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 72.8% $252

Groceries & Markets

Lodz

$222 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 6.2% $14

Eating Out

Lodz

$202 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 61.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Lodz

$137 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 20.8% $28

Getting Around

Lodz

$61 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Lodz

$53 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 5.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $599 in Lodz versus $455 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 Lodz are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Lodz versus $20 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Lodz vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Lodz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Lodz

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

6 h ahead of Lodz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

711,332

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.255 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3.93 PLN (1 PLN = 0.255 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lodz Chiang Mai 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lodz
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

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

Lodz costs about 61% 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 $2,239 per month in Lodz and $1,388 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 $455 there versus $599 in Lodz.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Lodz and $20 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Lodz – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,492 in Lodz and $925 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,492 in Lodz. 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, Lodz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.