Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,703 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,703

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,703 per month in Olsztyn vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Olsztyn $1,703
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,449 per month in Olsztyn vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Olsztyn $2,449
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,196 per month in Olsztyn vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Olsztyn $3,196
Chiang Mai $1,999

Olsztyn costs about 82% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Olsztyn sits 26% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.63 zł 49.35

$2.13 ฿71.8

492.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 zł 197

$18.62 ฿626

170.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 zł 33.99

$5.60 ฿188

55.36%

Cappuccino

$3.29 zł 12.84

$1.66 ฿55.9

98.19%

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

$2.48 zł 9.67

$0.65 ฿21.75

281.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 zł 7.22

$0.30 ฿10.25

516.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 zł 12.06

$2.32 ฿78.1

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 zł 14.66

$3.67 ฿123

2.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 3.99

$2.02 ฿67.8

-49.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 zł 4.89

$1.41 ฿47.34

-11.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 zł 5.38

$1.39 ฿46.79

-0.72%

Eggs

$3.87 zł 15.14

$2.37 ฿79.6

63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 zł 37.57

$16.52 ฿555

-41.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 zł 29.52

$2.67 ฿89.8

182.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 zł 56.7

$9.02 ฿303

60.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.65

$2.40 ฿80.6

-50.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 zł 6.47

$1.04 ฿35.01

59.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 zł 7.09

$1.66 ฿55.8

9.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 zł 13.44

$1.56 ฿52.4

120.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.55

$1.24 ฿41.61

-26.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.61

$1.09 ฿36.53

8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 zł 5.25

$0.76 ฿25.61

76.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 zł 2.82

$0.51 ฿17.29

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 zł 21.44

$4.12 ฿139

33.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 zł 30.52

$17.93 ฿603

-56.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 zł 4.42

$1.62 ฿54.6

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 zł 6.10

$2.82 ฿94.9

-44.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 zł 4.06

$0.93 ฿31.42

11.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.18 zł 98.4

$52.9 ฿1,778

-52.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.73

$1.18 ฿39.56

67.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 zł 2.85

$0.17 ฿5.76

329.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 zł 40.13

$1.81 ฿60.9

467.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 zł 6.41

$1.47 ฿49.51

11.56%

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

$31.2K zł 122.1K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

48.72%

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

$28.9K zł 113.0K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

9.05%

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

$336 zł 1,314

$62.6 ฿2,103

437.55%

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

$9.64 zł 37.68

$11.60 ฿390

-16.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.98 zł 74.2

$20.30 ฿683

-6.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.06 zł 176

$37.88 ฿1,274

18.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.38 zł 87.5

$3.70 ฿124

504.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 zł 34.01

$6.51 ฿219

33.64%

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

$374 zł 1,460

$727 ฿24.4K

-48.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K zł 54.7K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-15.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 zł 386

$53.5 ฿1,800

84.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.62 zł 186

$24.80 ฿834

92.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 zł 390

$90.4 ฿3,039

10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 zł 405

$72.0 ฿2,420

43.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 zł 3,203

$481 ฿16.2K

70.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 zł 2,495

$310 ฿10.4K

105.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 zł 5,112

$1,058 ฿35.6K

23.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 zł 4,005

$659 ฿22.1K

55.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,616 zł 14.1K

$2,418 ฿81.3K

49.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,519 zł 9,843

$1,609 ฿54.1K

56.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,491 zł 5,825

$595 ฿20.0K

150.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

5.57

35.01%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olsztyn

$638 37.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 51.4% $328

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$365 21.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 74.1% $270

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$238 14%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 0.5% $1.1

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$207 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 63% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$157 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 31.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$62 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 18.5% $12

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$35 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 67.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $820 in Olsztyn versus $481 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 Olsztyn are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Olsztyn versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

06:50 6:50 AM

6 h ahead of Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.256 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.91 PLN (1 PLN = 0.256 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Olsztyn Chiang Mai 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Olsztyn
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

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

Olsztyn costs about 82% 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 $2,554 per month in Olsztyn 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 $481 there versus $820 in Olsztyn.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Olsztyn and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Olsztyn. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,703 in Olsztyn and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,703 in Olsztyn. 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, Olsztyn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.