Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banja Luka and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,200 in Banja Luka, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Banja Luka
Learn more

Banja Luka Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Banja Luka

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,200

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Banja Luka vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,200
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Banja Luka $1,834
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,469 per month in Banja Luka vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Banja Luka $2,469
Chiang Mai $1,914

Banja Luka costs about 28% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Banja Luka and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Banja Luka 11% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 BAM 16.99

$2.26 ฿75.4

332.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 BAM 86.0

$19.18 ฿641

157.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 BAM 19.14

$5.59 ฿187

96.96%

Cappuccino

$1.77 BAM 3.07

$1.72 ฿57.6

2.91%

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

$2.47 BAM 4.29

$0.64 ฿21.54

285.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 BAM 2.93

$0.33 ฿11.18

412.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 BAM 4.33

$2.36 ฿78.7

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 BAM 6.02

$3.90 ฿130

-11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 BAM 2.49

$2.05 ฿68.6

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 2.03

$1.40 ฿46.70

-16.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 BAM 2.81

$1.28 ฿42.89

26.56%

Eggs

$2.89 BAM 5.03

$2.25 ฿75.3

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 BAM 16.41

$16.94 ฿566

-44.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 BAM 15.20

$2.74 ฿91.6

218.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 BAM 24.57

$9.36 ฿313

50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 BAM 3.22

$2.40 ฿80.3

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 BAM 3.32

$1.01 ฿33.92

89.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 BAM 3.87

$1.61 ฿53.9

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 BAM 3.89

$1.52 ฿50.7

47.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 BAM 1.79

$1.28 ฿42.90

-19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 BAM 2.47

$1.11 ฿37.22

27.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 BAM 1.96

$0.72 ฿24.09

56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 BAM 1.51

$0.52 ฿17.54

67.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 BAM 6.88

$4.33 ฿145

-8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 BAM 13.95

$17.73 ฿593

-54.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.63 ฿54.4

-42.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.45

$2.85 ฿95.3

-50.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 BAM 2.35

$0.85 ฿28.31

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 BAM 77.2

$53.9 ฿1,801

-17.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$1.17 ฿39.18

50.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 BAM 1.93

$0.57 ฿19.00

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 BAM 30.17

$2.37 ฿79.2

632.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 BAM 3.09

$1.45 ฿48.32

22.76%

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

$30.5K BAM 53.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

49.10%

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

$21.6K BAM 37.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-18.72%

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

$159 BAM 277

$62.3 ฿2,083

155.16%

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

$16.19 BAM 28.15

$12.27 ฿410

31.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.60 BAM 61.9

$19.97 ฿668

78.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 BAM 67.2

$37.91 ฿1,267

1.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.63 BAM 25.45

$3.76 ฿126

289.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 BAM 10.04

$6.71 ฿224

-14.01%

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

$296 BAM 514

$797 ฿26.6K

-62.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,633 BAM 6,317

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-75.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 BAM 145

$53.3 ฿1,780

56.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 BAM 62.8

$25.05 ฿837

44.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 BAM 187

$91.6 ฿3,062

17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 BAM 252

$73.5 ฿2,455

96.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 BAM 786

$464 ฿15.5K

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 BAM 526

$305 ฿10.2K

-0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 BAM 1,229

$915 ฿30.6K

-22.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 BAM 842

$552 ฿18.5K

-12.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,820 BAM 4,904

$1,912 ฿63.9K

47.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 BAM 3,264

$1,438 ฿48.1K

30.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 BAM 1,546

$595 ฿19.9K

49.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

5.57

-20.29%

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

Last update for Banja Luka: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banja Luka

$302 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 0.7% $2.2

Groceries & Markets

Banja Luka

$244 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 2.3% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banja Luka

$211 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 55.1% $116

Eating Out

Banja Luka

$168 14%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 53.1% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Banja Luka

$167 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 34.5% $58

Getting Around

Banja Luka

$57 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 7.4% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Banja Luka

$50 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 2.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $452 in Banja Luka versus $464 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 49% higher in Banja Luka, 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 $49.00 in Banja Luka versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Banja Luka

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

04:14 4:14 AM

5 h ahead of Banja Luka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,963

127,240

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banja Luka Chiang Mai 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Banja Luka
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

Banja Luka vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Banja Luka is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Banja Luka and $1,408 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.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Banja Luka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Banja Luka and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Banja Luka at $1,200. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Banja Luka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Banja Luka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.