Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecin and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,343 in Szczecin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Szczecin
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Szczecin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Szczecin

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,343

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,343 per month in Szczecin vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Szczecin $1,343
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,997 per month in Szczecin vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Szczecin $1,997
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,651 per month in Szczecin vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Szczecin $2,651
Chiang Mai $1,914

Szczecin costs about 43% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Szczecin and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Szczecin 1% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.13 zł 35.49

$2.26 ฿75.4

303.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.70 zł 178

$19.18 ฿641

138.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 zł 31.94

$5.59 ฿187

47.05%

Cappuccino

$2.96 zł 11.50

$1.72 ฿57.6

72.09%

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

$1.86 zł 7.22

$0.64 ฿21.54

190.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 zł 5.42

$0.33 ฿11.18

321.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 zł 11.70

$2.36 ฿78.7

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 zł 11.53

$3.90 ฿130

-23.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 zł 3.56

$2.05 ฿68.6

-55.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 zł 5.01

$1.40 ฿46.70

-7.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$1.28 ฿42.89

-14.06%

Eggs

$3.35 zł 13.02

$2.25 ฿75.3

48.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 zł 36.22

$16.94 ฿566

-44.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 zł 24.99

$2.74 ฿91.6

134.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 zł 50.1

$9.36 ฿313

37.71%

Apples (1kg)

$0.89 zł 3.46

$2.40 ฿80.3

-62.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 zł 6.50

$1.01 ฿33.92

65.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$1.61 ฿53.9

-5.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 zł 9.03

$1.52 ฿50.7

52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 zł 3.28

$1.28 ฿42.90

-34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$1.11 ฿37.22

-6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 zł 4.27

$0.72 ฿24.09

52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 zł 2.17

$0.52 ฿17.54

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 zł 20.43

$4.33 ฿145

21.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 zł 24.05

$17.73 ฿593

-65.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 zł 4.13

$1.63 ฿54.4

-34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.71

$2.85 ฿95.3

-48.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 zł 3.04

$0.85 ฿28.31

-8.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 zł 98.9

$53.9 ฿1,801

-52.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 zł 7.70

$1.17 ฿39.18

69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 zł 3.40

$0.57 ฿19.00

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.65 zł 49.15

$2.37 ฿79.2

433.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 zł 6.37

$1.45 ฿48.32

13.10%

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

$30.0K zł 116.6K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

46.59%

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

$27.9K zł 108.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

5.37%

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

$241 zł 937

$62.3 ฿2,083

286.76%

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

$12.23 zł 47.52

$12.27 ฿410

-0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.03 zł 73.9

$19.97 ฿668

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.45 zł 118

$37.91 ฿1,267

-19.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.3 zł 196

$3.76 ฿126

1238.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 zł 24.32

$6.71 ฿224

-6.71%

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

$335 zł 1,301

$797 ฿26.6K

-58.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,493 zł 29.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-49.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 zł 268

$53.3 ฿1,780

29.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.31 zł 137

$25.05 ฿837

40.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 zł 310

$91.6 ฿3,062

-13.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 zł 352

$73.5 ฿2,455

23.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 zł 2,339

$464 ฿15.5K

29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 zł 1,922

$305 ฿10.2K

62.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 zł 4,415

$915 ฿30.6K

24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 zł 3,240

$552 ฿18.5K

50.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,284 zł 12.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

71.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 zł 9,102

$1,438 ฿48.1K

62.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,556 zł 6,046

$595 ฿19.9K

161.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.57

22.44%

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

Last update for Szczecin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szczecin

$495 36.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 38.4% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szczecin

$272 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 65.3% $178

Groceries & Markets

Szczecin

$207 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 14.9% $31

Eating Out

Szczecin

$167 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 52.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Szczecin

$124 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 11.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Szczecin

$43 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 19.5% $8.4

Getting Around

Szczecin

$35 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 75.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $602 in Szczecin versus $464 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 run about 161% higher in Szczecin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Szczecin versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Szczecin vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Szczecin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Szczecin

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

10:03 10:03 AM

5 h ahead of Szczecin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

387,700

127,240

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Szczecin Chiang Mai 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Szczecin
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

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

Szczecin costs about 43% 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 $2,015 per month in Szczecin and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $335 per month in Szczecin and $797 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 15% cheaper in Szczecin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Szczecin at $1,343. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Szczecin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,343 in Szczecin. 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, Szczecin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.