Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polva and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,216 in Polva, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Polva despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Polva
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Polva Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Polva

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,216

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Polva vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Polva $1,216
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,934 per month in Polva vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Polva $1,934
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,652 per month in Polva vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Polva $2,652
Chiang Mai $1,979

Polva costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Polva and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Polva 11% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €15.32

$2.24 ฿75.7

661.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 €79.9

$19.00 ฿642

367.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 €10.71

$5.55 ฿188

114.77%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.89

$1.67 ฿56.6

159.28%

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

$2.24 €2.01

$0.64 ฿21.56

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.06

$0.31 ฿10.32

638.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 €6.11

$2.36 ฿79.6

188.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 €6.12

$3.66 ฿124

86.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.95 ฿65.8

-42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 €1.26

$1.44 ฿48.51

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.65

$1.33 ฿45.07

121.80%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.87

$2.28 ฿77.1

39.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 €10.00

$16.45 ฿556

-32.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €8.15

$2.78 ฿94.0

226.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.39 €24.60

$9.31 ฿314

194.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$2.35 ฿79.5

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.26

$0.97 ฿32.82

44.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$1.60 ฿53.9

61.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 €2.60

$1.50 ฿50.7

93.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.28 ฿43.15

-36.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.10 ฿37.22

-26.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 €1.83

$0.71 ฿23.84

187.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.49 ฿16.38

108.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.23

$4.14 ฿140

67.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 €9.15

$17.52 ฿592

-41.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.61 ฿54.5

22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.78 ฿94.0

-25.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 €5.47

$1.16 ฿39.08

425.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.07

$0.53 ฿17.82

124.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.47 €23.78

$2.42 ฿81.8

993.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.45 ฿48.93

34.48%

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

$28.3K €25.4K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

34.23%

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

$31.5K €28.3K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

16.82%

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

$340 €306

$62.2 ฿2,100

447.08%

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

$17.33 €15.56

$12.17 ฿411

42.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.74

$20.12 ฿680

59.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 €12.08

$6.49 ฿219

107.24%

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

$721 €648

$736 ฿24.9K

-2.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,967 €8,954

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-32.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €93.7

$53.4 ฿1,802

95.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 €45.06

$24.64 ฿832

103.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €105

$91.5 ฿3,089

27.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €123

$71.9 ฿2,429

89.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

5.57

-38.24%

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

Last update for Polva: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polva

$389 32%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 75.7% $295

Groceries & Markets

Polva

$314 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 25.5% $80

Eating Out

Polva

$290 23.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 73.2% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Polva

$183 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 40.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Polva

$27 * 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 87% $23

Getting Around

Polva

$12 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 410% $49

Accommodation & Living

Polva

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Polva versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Polva

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

04:08 4:08 AM

5 h ahead of Polva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,700

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Polva Chiang Mai 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Polva
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

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

Polva costs about 30% 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 $1,824 per month in Polva and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Polva and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Polva, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,216 in Polva 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 $1,216 in Polva. 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.