Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Žalec and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,661 in Žalec, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Žalec
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Žalec Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Žalec

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,661

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,661 per month in Žalec vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Žalec $1,661
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $2,396 per month in Žalec vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Žalec $2,396
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $3,131 per month in Žalec vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Žalec $3,131
Chiang Mai $1,999

Žalec costs about 78% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Žalec sits 23% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.99 €8.89

$2.13 ฿71.7

369.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.94 €36.44

$18.62 ฿625

119.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 €7.04

$5.60 ฿188

41.25%

Cappuccino

$1.95 €1.74

$1.66 ฿55.9

17.47%

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

$3.27 €2.91

$0.65 ฿21.73

403.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$0.30 ฿10.24

446.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 €3.37

$2.32 ฿78.0

62.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.45

$3.67 ฿123

5.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.02 ฿67.7

-34.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.41 ฿47.29

56.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.39 ฿46.75

26.62%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.47

$2.37 ฿79.5

64.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 €8.40

$16.52 ฿555

-42.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.45

$2.67 ฿89.7

255.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 €13.08

$9.02 ฿303

62.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.40 ฿80.6

-19.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.47

$1.04 ฿34.98

59.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.66 ฿55.7

17.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

$1.56 ฿52.4

82.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.92

$1.24 ฿41.57

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.09 ฿36.50

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$0.76 ฿25.59

86.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.68

$0.51 ฿17.27

50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 €5.23

$4.12 ฿138

42.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 €5.96

$17.93 ฿602

-62.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.62 ฿54.5

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.82 ฿94.8

-35.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.25

$0.93 ฿31.39

50.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.00 €30.26

$52.9 ฿1,777

-35.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.18 ฿39.52

62.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 €1.15

$0.17 ฿5.76

658.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.22 €18.00

$1.81 ฿60.9

1017.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.47 ฿49.47

10.88%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$21.0K ฿705.8K

38.49%

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

$23.8K €21.2K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-10.29%

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

$280 €249

$62.6 ฿2,101

347.73%

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

$16.43 €14.62

$11.60 ฿390

41.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.11 €25.02

$20.30 ฿682

38.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 €56.8

$37.88 ฿1,272

68.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 €9.11

$6.51 ฿219

57.14%

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

$630 €560

$727 ฿24.4K

-13.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.8K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

-27.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €81.6

$53.5 ฿1,798

71.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 €32.71

$24.80 ฿833

48.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.8

$90.4 ฿3,036

21.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$72.0 ฿2,418

72.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 €637

$481 ฿16.2K

48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 €538

$310 ฿10.4K

94.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 €1,008

$1,058 ฿35.5K

7.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 €886

$659 ฿22.1K

51.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,246 €2,888

$2,418 ฿81.2K

34.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 €2,739

$1,609 ฿54.0K

91.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 €1,343

$595 ฿20.0K

153.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

5.57

-36.80%

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

Last update for Žalec: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Žalec

$604 36.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 48.7% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Žalec

$325 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 70.9% $230

Groceries & Markets

Žalec

$263 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 10.1% $27

Eating Out

Žalec

$173 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 55.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Žalec

$163 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 33.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Žalec

$84 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 39.6% $33

Getting Around

Žalec

$48 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 22.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Žalec 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 Žalec are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Žalec versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇮 Žalec

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

13:33 1:33 PM

6 h ahead of Žalec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Žalec Chiang Mai 8,050 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Žalec
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

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

Žalec costs about 78% 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 $2,491 per month in Žalec and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $716 in Žalec.

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Žalec and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Žalec, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,661 in Žalec 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 $1,661 in Žalec. 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, Žalec makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.