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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $980 per month in Zalaegerszeg vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,468 per month in Zalaegerszeg vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,955 per month in Zalaegerszeg vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zalaegerszeg costs about 15% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Zalaegerszeg and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zalaegerszeg 27% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 Ft 3,622

$1.96 ฿64.0

492.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 Ft 17.7K

$18.81 ฿615

201.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 Ft 2,614

$7.92 ฿259

5.81%

Cappuccino

$2.26 Ft 707

$1.91 ฿62.6

18.32%

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

$1.67 Ft 522

$0.84 ฿27.41

98.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 387

$0.35 ฿11.51

254.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 Ft 567

$2.21 ฿72.1

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 Ft 596

$3.80 ฿124

-49.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 Ft 307

$1.64 ฿53.5

-39.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 Ft 436

$1.62 ฿53.1

-13.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 Ft 644

$1.18 ฿38.62

74.58%

Eggs

$3.06 Ft 955

$2.01 ฿65.8

52.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 Ft 3,066

$15.89 ฿520

-38.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 Ft 1,430

$3.01 ฿98.5

52.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 Ft 2,301

$10.77 ฿352

-31.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 Ft 455

$2.61 ฿85.5

-44.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 Ft 615

$1.22 ฿39.88

61.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 Ft 598

$1.70 ฿55.7

12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 Ft 1,137

$1.58 ฿51.5

131.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Ft 364

$1.32 ฿43.14

-11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 Ft 376

$1.17 ฿38.23

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 Ft 363

$0.67 ฿21.98

73.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 Ft 180

$0.56 ฿18.32

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,075

$4.53 ฿148

46.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 Ft 1,808

$18.20 ฿595

-68.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 Ft 255

$1.83 ฿60.0

-55.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 Ft 439

$3.23 ฿106

-56.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 Ft 325

$0.89 ฿29.00

16.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.23 Ft 5,375

$19.38 ฿634

-11.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 Ft 1,002

$1.35 ฿44.20

137.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 Ft 331

$1.35 ฿44.05

-21.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.67 Ft 5,826

$8.25 ฿270

126.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 Ft 549

$1.27 ฿41.64

38.58%

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

$26.1K Ft 8.1M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

23.44%

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

$31.0K Ft 9.7M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

38.00%

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

$135 Ft 42.2K

$70.2 ฿2,294

92.64%

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

$25.97 Ft 8,104

$13.77 ฿450

88.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.75 Ft 6,161

$17.60 ฿575

12.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.15 Ft 11.6K

$41.57 ฿1,360

-10.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.09 Ft 10.6K

$6.60 ฿216

416.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 Ft 2,260

$5.78 ฿189

25.26%

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

$204 Ft 63.7K

$306 ฿10.0K

-33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K Ft 3.8M

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-17.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.35 Ft 9,158

$54.4 ฿1,778

-46.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.77 Ft 7,104

$26.14 ฿855

-12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.44 Ft 14.8K

$84.5 ฿2,764

-43.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.3 Ft 16.3K

$69.4 ฿2,270

-24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 Ft 98.6K

$424 ฿13.9K

-25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 Ft 85.3K

$238 ฿7,788

14.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 Ft 136.1K

$825 ฿27.0K

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 Ft 91.3K

$515 ฿16.8K

-43.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,932 Ft 602.9K

$2,049 ฿67.0K

-5.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,592 Ft 496.7K

$1,523 ฿49.8K

4.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$805 Ft 251.1K

$635 ฿20.8K

26.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.00%

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

Last update for Zalaegerszeg: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $316 in Zalaegerszeg versus $424 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 27% higher in Zalaegerszeg, 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 $57.0 in Zalaegerszeg versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Zalaegerszeg vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Zalaegerszeg 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

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

Zalaegerszeg costs about 15% 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 $1,470 per month in Zalaegerszeg and $1,278 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 $204 per month in Zalaegerszeg and $306 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 22% cheaper in Zalaegerszeg – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $980 in Zalaegerszeg and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $980 in Zalaegerszeg. 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, Zalaegerszeg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.