Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vac and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,313 in Vac, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Vac
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Vac Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Vac

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,313

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,313 per month in Vac vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vac $1,313
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,227 per month in Vac vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vac $2,227
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,141 per month in Vac vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vac $3,141
Chiang Mai $1,999

Vac costs about 40% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vac and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Vac 3% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.27 Ft 6,283

$2.13 ฿72.0

804.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 Ft 36.5K

$18.62 ฿628

501.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 Ft 3,081

$5.60 ฿189

68.75%

Cappuccino

$2.50 Ft 816

$1.66 ฿56.1

50.60%

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

$1.51 Ft 493

$0.65 ฿21.83

132.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 418

$0.30 ฿10.29

326.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 Ft 768

$2.32 ฿78.4

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 Ft 763

$3.67 ฿124

-36.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 Ft 426

$2.02 ฿68.0

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 Ft 473

$1.41 ฿47.51

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 768

$1.39 ฿46.96

69.78%

Eggs

$3.27 Ft 1,067

$2.37 ฿79.9

37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 Ft 2,776

$16.52 ฿557

-48.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 Ft 1,959

$2.67 ฿90.1

125.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.52 Ft 5,384

$9.02 ฿304

83.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 614

$2.40 ฿80.9

-21.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 Ft 675

$1.04 ฿35.13

99.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Ft 678

$1.66 ฿56.0

25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 Ft 767

$1.56 ฿52.6

50.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 Ft 543

$1.24 ฿41.76

34.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 Ft 356

$1.09 ฿36.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 Ft 455

$0.76 ฿25.70

82.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Ft 160

$0.51 ฿17.35

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 Ft 2,538

$4.12 ฿139

89.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 Ft 1,624

$17.93 ฿605

-72.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 Ft 288

$1.62 ฿54.8

-45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 Ft 694

$2.82 ฿95.2

-24.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 Ft 372

$0.93 ฿31.53

22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.58 Ft 9,316

$52.9 ฿1,785

-45.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 Ft 898

$1.18 ฿39.70

133.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 Ft 552

$0.17 ฿5.79

894.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.20 Ft 6,259

$1.81 ฿61.1

960.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 Ft 604

$1.47 ฿49.69

25.85%

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

$25.7K Ft 8.4M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

22.47%

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

$38.6K Ft 12.6M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

45.55%

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

$150 Ft 49.0K

$62.6 ฿2,111

140.12%

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

$23.67 Ft 7,715

$11.60 ฿392

104.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.25 Ft 6,925

$20.30 ฿685

4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.28 Ft 15.7K

$37.88 ฿1,278

27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 Ft 5,867

$3.70 ฿125

386.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 Ft 2,727

$6.51 ฿220

28.57%

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

$248 Ft 80.9K

$727 ฿24.5K

-65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,786 Ft 2.5M

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-53.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 Ft 29.5K

$53.5 ฿1,807

68.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 Ft 10.3K

$24.80 ฿837

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 Ft 27.6K

$90.4 ฿3,050

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 Ft 34.0K

$72.0 ฿2,428

44.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 Ft 164.9K

$481 ฿16.2K

5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 Ft 128.3K

$310 ฿10.5K

27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 Ft 266.5K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 Ft 245.7K

$659 ฿22.2K

14.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 Ft 1.1M

$2,418 ฿81.6K

34.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,506 Ft 816.9K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

55.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 Ft 456.5K

$595 ฿20.1K

135.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Vac: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vac

$394 30%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 21.3% $84

Eating Out

Vac

$240 18.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 68.1% $164

Groceries & Markets

Vac

$234 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 0.9% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vac

$195 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 51.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Vac

$140 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 22.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Vac

$65 5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 21.7% $14

Getting Around

Vac

$44 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 32.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Vac 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.

Salaries in Vac are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Vac versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Vac vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Vac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Vac

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

23:14 11:14 PM

6 h ahead of Vac

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,001

127,240

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vac Chiang Mai 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Vac
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

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

Vac costs about 40% 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 $1,969 per month in Vac and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $506 in Vac and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Vac and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Vac. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,313 in Vac 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 $1,313 in Vac. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vac makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.