Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Prague and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,083 in Prague, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Prague
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Prague Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Prague

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$2,083

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Prague vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Prague $2,083
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,977 per month in Prague vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Prague $2,977
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Prague vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Prague $3,872
Chiang Mai $1,979

Prague costs about 123% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Prague sits 53% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 Kč 233

$2.24 ฿75.5

376.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 Kč 1,120

$19.00 ฿640

170.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 Kč 222

$5.55 ฿187

83.42%

Cappuccino

$3.71 Kč 80.8

$1.67 ฿56.4

122.16%

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

$1.98 Kč 43.19

$0.64 ฿21.51

209.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 Kč 32.46

$0.31 ฿10.29

380.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 Kč 70.5

$2.36 ฿79.5

36.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 Kč 69.5

$3.66 ฿123

-12.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 Kč 23.86

$1.95 ฿65.7

-44.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 Kč 37.10

$1.44 ฿48.41

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 Kč 52.7

$1.33 ฿44.97

81.95%

Eggs

$3.92 Kč 85.5

$2.28 ฿77.0

71.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 Kč 265

$16.45 ฿554

-26.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 Kč 179

$2.78 ฿93.8

194.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 Kč 314

$9.31 ฿314

54.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 Kč 43.71

$2.35 ฿79.3

-14.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 Kč 38.23

$0.97 ฿32.75

80.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Kč 47.88

$1.60 ฿53.8

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 Kč 82.5

$1.50 ฿50.6

152.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 Kč 22.98

$1.28 ฿43.06

-17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 Kč 22.16

$1.10 ฿37.14

-7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 Kč 34.88

$0.71 ฿23.79

125.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 Kč 17.86

$0.49 ฿16.34

67.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.75 Kč 169

$4.14 ฿140

87.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 Kč 146

$17.52 ฿590

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Kč 25.86

$1.61 ฿54.4

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Kč 44.97

$2.78 ฿93.8

-25.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 Kč 39.65

$0.87 ฿29.27

109.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.99 Kč 545

$54.1 ฿1,823

-53.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Kč 58.8

$1.16 ฿39.00

131.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 Kč 36.00

$0.53 ฿17.78

211.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.49 Kč 425

$2.42 ฿81.6

705.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 Kč 42.51

$1.45 ฿48.82

34.48%

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

$30.8K Kč 671.9K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

46.27%

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

$33.5K Kč 729.9K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

24.22%

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

$283 Kč 6,164

$62.2 ฿2,095

354.53%

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

$22.88 Kč 499

$12.17 ฿410

88.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.44 Kč 468

$20.12 ฿678

6.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 Kč 1,502

$37.31 ฿1,257

84.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 Kč 374

$3.77 ฿127

355.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 Kč 294

$6.49 ฿219

107.55%

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

$1,134 Kč 24.7K

$736 ฿24.8K

54.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K Kč 396.1K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

22.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 Kč 1,990

$53.4 ฿1,799

70.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.16 Kč 1,029

$24.64 ฿830

91.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Kč 2,465

$91.5 ฿3,083

23.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 Kč 2,749

$71.9 ฿2,424

75.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 Kč 25.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

140.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 Kč 21.5K

$309 ฿10.4K

218.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,264 Kč 49.4K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

125.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 Kč 34.2K

$633 ฿21.3K

147.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,347 Kč 203.9K

$2,363 ฿79.6K

295.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,986 Kč 152.4K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

339.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,358 Kč 51.4K

$590 ฿19.9K

299.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

5.57

-15.26%

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

Last update for Prague: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Prague

$983 47.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 68.6% $675

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Prague

$327 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71.1% $232

Groceries & Markets

Prague

$267 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 12.2% $33

Eating Out

Prague

$197 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 60.6% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Prague

$170 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 36% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Prague

$96 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 47.5% $46

Getting Around

Prague

$43 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 42% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,161 in Prague 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 Prague are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Prague versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇿 Prague

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

6 h ahead of Prague

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,251,933 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 CZK = 4.58 USD

100 CZK = 4.12 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CZK – Czech Koruna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇿 Czech Koruna (Kč)

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 21.81 CZK (100 CZK = 4.58 USD). 1 EUR = 24.28 CZK (100 CZK = 4.12 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CZK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Prague Chiang Mai 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Prague
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

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

Prague costs about 123% 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 $3,125 per month in Prague 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 $1,161 in Prague.

Kindergarten costs $1,134 per month in Prague and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Prague, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,083 in Prague and $936 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 $936 versus $2,083 in Prague. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Prague makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.