Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala, Slovakia and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,362 in Sala, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Sala
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Sala Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sala

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,362

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Sala vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sala $1,362
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,975 per month in Sala vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sala $1,975
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,589 per month in Sala vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sala $2,589
Chiang Mai $1,999

Sala costs about 46% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.34 €8.30

$2.13 ฿71.8

338.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.92 €29.24

$18.62 ฿626

76.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 €7.91

$5.60 ฿188

59.11%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.71

$1.66 ฿55.9

84.34%

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

$2.06 €1.83

$0.65 ฿21.75

216.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.30 ฿10.25

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 €2.12

$2.32 ฿78.1

3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$3.67 ฿123

-37.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.02 ฿67.8

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.41 ฿47.34

5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 €1.77

$1.39 ฿46.79

43.88%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.14

$2.37 ฿79.6

48.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 €8.85

$16.52 ฿555

-39.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 €6.65

$2.67 ฿89.8

180.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 €10.11

$9.02 ฿303

26.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.40 ฿80.6

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.04 ฿35.01

95.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.66 ฿55.8

37.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$1.56 ฿52.4

67.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.21

$1.24 ฿41.61

10.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.09 ฿36.53

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.42

$0.76 ฿25.61

109.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.51 ฿17.29

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €6.03

$4.12 ฿139

64.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.26 €2.90

$17.93 ฿603

-81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.86

$1.62 ฿54.6

-40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.82 ฿94.9

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.93 ฿31.42

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.40 €22.56

$52.9 ฿1,778

-51.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.18 ฿39.56

39.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 €0.34

$0.17 ฿5.76

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 €12.04

$1.81 ฿60.9

648.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.47 ฿49.51

33.33%

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

$24.9K €22.1K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

18.57%

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

$22.0K €19.6K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-16.89%

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

$228 €202

$62.6 ฿2,103

264.00%

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

$19.52 €17.34

$11.60 ฿390

68.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.28 €18.02

$20.30 ฿683

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.56 €34.25

$37.88 ฿1,274

1.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 €14.51

$3.70 ฿124

341.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €8.05

$6.51 ฿219

39.17%

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

$406 €360

$727 ฿24.4K

-44.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,341 €6,521

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-55.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 €51.9

$53.5 ฿1,800

9.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.14 €26.78

$24.80 ฿834

21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 €68.7

$90.4 ฿3,039

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 €81.1

$72.0 ฿2,420

26.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 €565

$481 ฿16.2K

32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 €435

$310 ฿10.4K

58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 €873

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-7.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 €711

$659 ฿22.1K

21.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,109 €2,762

$2,418 ฿81.3K

28.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,590 €2,301

$1,609 ฿54.1K

60.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.57

-35.91%

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

Last update for Sala: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sala

$490 36%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 36.8% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sala

$268 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.7% $173

Groceries & Markets

Sala

$230 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 2.8% $6.4

Eating Out

Sala

$169 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 54.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Sala

$116 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 6.4% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sala

$57 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 10.2% $5.8

Getting Around

Sala

$33 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 77.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $636 in Sala 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Sala versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Sala vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Sala wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇰 Sala

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

6 h ahead of Sala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,099

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sala Chiang Mai 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sala
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

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

Sala costs about 46% 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 $2,043 per month in Sala 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 $636 in Sala.

Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Sala and $727 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 3% cheaper in Sala – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,362 in Sala 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 $1,362 in Sala. 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.