Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Torun and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,295 in Torun, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Torun, Poland
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Torun
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,295
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,295 per month in Torun vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Torun $1,295
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,886 per month in Torun vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Torun $1,886
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,477 per month in Torun vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Torun $2,477
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Torun costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Torun and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Torun 5% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.97 zł 39.32
$2.24 ฿75.6
345.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.7 zł 204
$19.00 ฿641
171.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.01 zł 35.53
$5.55 ฿187
62.34%
Cappuccino
$3.55 zł 14.01
$1.67 ฿56.5
112.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 zł 8.22
$0.64 ฿21.53
225.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 zł 6.41
$0.31 ฿10.30
422.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.57 zł 10.14
$2.36 ฿79.5
8.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.14 zł 16.33
$3.66 ฿124
13.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 zł 3.65
$1.95 ฿65.7
-52.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 zł 4.73
$1.44 ฿48.45
-16.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 zł 6.39
$1.33 ฿45.01
21.80%
Eggs
$2.90 zł 11.43
$2.28 ฿77.0
27.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.69 zł 30.34
$16.45 ฿555
-53.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.92 zł 23.35
$2.78 ฿93.8
112.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.87 zł 54.7
$9.31 ฿314
48.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.07 zł 4.23
$2.35 ฿79.4
-54.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 zł 6.51
$0.97 ฿32.78
70.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.56 zł 6.14
$1.60 ฿53.9
-2.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.29 zł 13.00
$1.50 ฿50.6
119.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 zł 3.60
$1.28 ฿43.10
-28.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 zł 5.43
$1.10 ฿37.17
25.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 zł 5.68
$0.71 ฿23.81
102.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 zł 2.18
$0.49 ฿16.36
12.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.55 zł 17.97
$4.14 ฿140
9.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.96 zł 27.45
$17.52 ฿591
-60.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 zł 5.92
$1.61 ฿54.5
-6.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 zł 8.48
$2.78 ฿93.9
-22.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.11 zł 4.38
$0.87 ฿29.29
27.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.33 zł 99.9
$54.1 ฿1,825
-53.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.99 zł 7.87
$1.16 ฿39.03
71.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 zł 3.97
$0.53 ฿17.79
90.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.37 zł 25.11
$2.42 ฿81.7
163.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 zł 6.30
$1.45 ฿48.87
10.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K zł 119.5K
$21.1K ฿710.3K
43.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K zł 106.7K
$26.9K ฿908.7K
0.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 zł 723
$62.2 ฿2,097
194.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.31 zł 40.68
$12.17 ฿410
-15.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.69 zł 65.8
$20.12 ฿679
-17.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.37 zł 151
$37.31 ฿1,259
2.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.88 zł 86.3
$3.77 ฿127
480.37%
Cinema Ticket
$7.70 zł 30.37
$6.49 ฿219
18.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$241 zł 949
$736 ฿24.8K
-67.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,979 zł 19.6K
$14.8K ฿498.0K
-66.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.1 zł 340
$53.4 ฿1,800
61.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.92 zł 154
$24.64 ฿831
57.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 zł 333
$91.5 ฿3,086
-7.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 zł 456
$71.9 ฿2,426
60.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$528 zł 2,084
$482 ฿16.3K
9.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 zł 1,767
$309 ฿10.4K
44.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$848 zł 3,345
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-15.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$595 zł 2,348
$633 ฿21.4K
-6.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,299 zł 13.0K
$2,363 ฿79.7K
39.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,193 zł 8,651
$1,589 ฿53.6K
38.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Torun
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,748 zł 6,896
$590 ฿19.9K
196.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.21
5.57
11.49%

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

Last update for Torun: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Torun
$448
Chiang Mai
$309 31% $139
Groceries & Markets
Torun
$215
Chiang Mai
$234 8.9% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Torun
$210
Chiang Mai
$94 55.1% $116
Eating Out
Torun
$185
Chiang Mai
$78 58.1% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Torun
$146
Chiang Mai
$109 25.7% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Torun
$54
Chiang Mai
$50 6.5% $3.5
Getting Around
Torun
$37
Chiang Mai
$61 66.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $528 in Torun 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 Torun are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Torun versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Torun vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Torun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇱 Torun
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
15:54 3:54 PM
21:54 9:54 PM
6 h ahead of Torun
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
196,935
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.94 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Torun Chiang Mai 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Torun
  • 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
Torun vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Torun or Chiang Mai?
Torun costs about 38% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Torun and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,943 per month in Torun and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Torun compared to Chiang Mai?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $528 in Torun and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do childcare costs compare in Torun and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $241 per month in Torun and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Torun or in Chiang Mai?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Torun – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $800/month in Torun or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,295 in Torun and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Torun or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,295 in Torun. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Torun compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Torun or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Torun makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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