Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zatec and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,232 in Zatec, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Zatec
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Zatec Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zatec

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

$1,232

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Zatec vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zatec $1,232
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,931 per month in Zatec vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zatec $1,931
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,630 per month in Zatec vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zatec $2,630
Chiang Mai $1,903

Zatec costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zatec and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zatec 9% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 Kč 146

$2.29 ฿76.5

195.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.11 Kč 392

$19.64 ฿656

-7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 Kč 193

$5.61 ฿188

59.00%

Cappuccino

$2.95 Kč 63.9

$1.66 ฿55.6

77.71%

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

$0.71 Kč 15.31

$0.70 ฿23.40

1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 Kč 18.98

$0.31 ฿10.24

183.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 Kč 50.5

$2.41 ฿80.4

-3.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 Kč 58.5

$3.71 ฿124

-26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 Kč 17.85

$1.95 ฿65.3

-57.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 Kč 28.76

$1.41 ฿47.03

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 Kč 48.54

$1.31 ฿43.62

70.99%

Eggs

$2.45 Kč 53.0

$2.18 ฿72.9

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.88 Kč 127

$16.65 ฿556

-64.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 Kč 119

$2.76 ฿92.2

99.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 Kč 153

$9.11 ฿304

-22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 Kč 27.29

$2.39 ฿80.0

-47.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Kč 33.84

$1.03 ฿34.26

51.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 Kč 44.60

$1.63 ฿54.4

26.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 Kč 71.2

$1.50 ฿50.0

119.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 Kč 20.25

$1.29 ฿43.13

-27.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 Kč 23.63

$1.11 ฿37.03

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 Kč 33.38

$0.72 ฿24.08

113.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Kč 11.99

$0.53 ฿17.59

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 Kč 128

$4.31 ฿144

37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.36 Kč 116

$17.95 ฿600

-70.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 Kč 19.21

$1.58 ฿52.9

-43.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 Kč 36.86

$2.84 ฿95.0

-40.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 Kč 7.22

$0.86 ฿28.86

-61.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.19 Kč 545

$53.3 ฿1,780

-52.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 Kč 60.4

$1.21 ฿40.29

130.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 Kč 39.96

$0.57 ฿18.99

224.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.44 Kč 355

$2.35 ฿78.6

599.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 Kč 40.18

$1.44 ฿47.96

29.17%

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

$31.5K Kč 680.6K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

51.80%

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

$30.1K Kč 651.7K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

12.44%

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

$299 Kč 6,474

$62.3 ฿2,083

380.25%

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

$22.74 Kč 492

$12.11 ฿405

87.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 Kč 405

$19.94 ฿666

-6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 Kč 1,181

$37.07 ฿1,239

47.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.30 Kč 374

$3.78 ฿126

357.67%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 Kč 280

$6.50 ฿217

99.23%

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

$726 Kč 15.7K

$793 ฿26.5K

-8.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K Kč 247.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-22.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 Kč 1,877

$53.7 ฿1,796

61.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.82 Kč 796

$24.62 ฿823

49.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.55 Kč 985

$90.9 ฿3,036

-49.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Kč 2,602

$71.1 ฿2,378

69.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 Kč 7,792

$455 ฿15.2K

-20.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 Kč 6,886

$298 ฿9,954

6.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 Kč 26.2K

$908 ฿30.4K

33.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 Kč 20.1K

$554 ฿18.5K

67.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,620 Kč 99.9K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

139.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 Kč 74.6K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

138.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 Kč 24.8K

$591 ฿19.7K

93.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

5.57

-16.16%

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

Last update for Zatec: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zatec

$341 27.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 72.3% $246

Accommodation & Living

Zatec

$318 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 6.5% $21

Groceries & Markets

Zatec

$183 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 28.3% $52

Eating Out

Zatec

$140 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 43.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Zatec

$130 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 17% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Zatec

$80 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 37.8% $30

Getting Around

Zatec

$39 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 57.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $360 in Zatec versus $455 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 94% higher in Zatec, 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 $18.00 in Zatec versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $235 – making Zatec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇿 Zatec

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

18:38 6:38 PM

5 h ahead of Zatec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,522

127,240

💱 Currency

Czech Koruna CZK Kč

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 CZK = 4.62 USD

100 CZK = 4.11 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CZK – Czech Koruna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇿 Czech Koruna (Kč)

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CZK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zatec Chiang Mai 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zatec
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

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

Zatec costs about 33% 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 $1,848 per month in Zatec and $1,388 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 $726 per month in Zatec and $793 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 28% cheaper in Zatec – 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 $925, than in Zatec at $1,232. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zatec it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,232 in Zatec. 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, Zatec makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.