Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Szombathely and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,119 per month in Szombathely vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,614 per month in Szombathely vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,110 per month in Szombathely vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Szombathely costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Szombathely and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Szombathely 17% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.74 Ft 2,667

$1.94 ฿63.5

350.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.50 Ft 13.3K

$18.64 ฿609

133.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 Ft 2,620

$7.82 ฿255

9.85%

Cappuccino

$2.17 Ft 663

$1.95 ฿63.8

11.28%

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

$1.10 Ft 336

$0.85 ฿27.77

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Ft 299

$0.35 ฿11.58

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 Ft 478

$2.13 ฿69.6

-26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 Ft 668

$3.73 ฿122

-41.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 Ft 321

$1.71 ฿56.0

-38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 Ft 457

$1.63 ฿53.2

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 Ft 553

$1.14 ฿37.15

58.77%

Eggs

$2.42 Ft 739

$1.93 ฿63.1

25.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 Ft 2,759

$16.21 ฿530

-44.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 Ft 1,872

$3.12 ฿102

96.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 Ft 4,361

$10.90 ฿356

31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Ft 599

$2.75 ฿90.0

-28.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 558

$1.21 ฿39.52

51.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Ft 670

$1.62 ฿53.0

35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 Ft 888

$1.59 ฿51.8

83.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 Ft 345

$1.40 ฿45.70

-19.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 Ft 373

$1.17 ฿38.17

4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 Ft 549

$0.66 ฿21.60

172.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Ft 163

$0.53 ฿17.22

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 Ft 2,183

$4.69 ฿153

52.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 Ft 1,531

$18.66 ฿609

-73.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Ft 357

$1.80 ฿58.8

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 Ft 478

$3.23 ฿106

-51.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 Ft 247

$0.90 ฿29.26

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.44 Ft 5,625

$19.21 ฿628

-4.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 Ft 811

$1.41 ฿45.91

88.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 Ft 354

$1.29 ฿42.12

-10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.24 Ft 6,782

$7.84 ฿256

183.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 Ft 512

$1.27 ฿41.58

32.28%

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

$27.5K Ft 8.4M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

29.21%

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

$25.4K Ft 7.7M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

14.33%

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

$166 Ft 50.5K

$69.1 ฿2,256

139.93%

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

$27.27 Ft 8,315

$14.08 ฿460

93.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.55 Ft 5,961

$18.00 ฿588

8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.17 Ft 14.1K

$41.06 ฿1,341

12.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 Ft 5,108

$6.96 ฿227

140.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 Ft 1,322

$5.92 ฿193

-26.69%

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

$402 Ft 122.6K

$299 ฿9,766

34.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,204 Ft 2.2M

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-51.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 Ft 28.0K

$54.7 ฿1,787

67.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.08 Ft 13.7K

$26.77 ฿874

68.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 Ft 28.4K

$85.0 ฿2,776

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 Ft 30.8K

$70.6 ฿2,306

42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 Ft 131.0K

$428 ฿14.0K

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 Ft 95.4K

$237 ฿7,752

31.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 Ft 134.1K

$801 ฿26.2K

-45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 Ft 103.9K

$515 ฿16.8K

-33.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 Ft 810.0K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

34.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,156 Ft 657.6K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

46.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,262 Ft 384.9K

$617 ฿20.2K

104.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

50.00%

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

Last update for Szombathely: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Szombathely versus $428 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 104% higher in Szombathely, 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 $43.00 in Szombathely versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Szombathely vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Szombathely wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Szombathely costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,678 per month in Szombathely and $1,300 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 $402 per month in Szombathely and $299 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 9% cheaper in Szombathely – 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 $866, than in Szombathely at $1,119. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Szombathely it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $1,119 in Szombathely. 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, Szombathely makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.