Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berane and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,290 in Berane, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Berane
Learn more

Berane Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Berane

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,290

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,290 in Berane versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Berane $1,290
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,020 in Berane versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Berane $2,020
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Berane versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Berane $2,750
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Berane is roughly 39% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Berane 5% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 €10.05

$2.29 ฿76.5

393.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.82 €32.75

$19.64 ฿656

87.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 €8.09

$5.61 ฿188

62.03%

Cappuccino

$2.49 €2.22

$1.66 ฿55.6

50.00%

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

$2.49 €2.21

$0.70 ฿23.40

255.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$0.31 ฿10.24

422.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 €2.43

$2.41 ฿80.4

13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.71 ฿124

-9.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.95 ฿65.3

-40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 €0.85

$1.41 ฿47.03

-31.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.31 ฿43.62

112.98%

Eggs

$2.99 €2.66

$2.18 ฿72.9

37.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 €7.83

$16.65 ฿556

-47.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 €6.72

$2.76 ฿92.2

173.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.66 €11.26

$9.11 ฿304

38.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.39 ฿80.0

-44.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.03 ฿34.26

48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 €1.45

$1.63 ฿54.4

-0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$1.50 ฿50.0

92.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.29 ฿43.13

-27.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.11 ฿37.03

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.35

$0.72 ฿24.08

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$0.53 ฿17.59

75.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 €3.57

$4.31 ฿144

-6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.48 €3.98

$17.95 ฿600

-75.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.58 ฿52.9

-21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.84 ฿95.0

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.86 ฿28.86

97.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.62 €35.24

$53.3 ฿1,780

-25.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.21 ฿40.29

-8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.57 ฿18.99

98.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.68 €14.84

$2.35 ฿78.6

609.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.44 ฿47.96

19.44%

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

$32.6K €29.0K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

57.37%

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

$21.2K €18.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-20.94%

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

$133 €118

$62.3 ฿2,083

113.59%

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

$12.78 €11.36

$12.11 ฿405

5.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.79 €30.06

$19.94 ฿666

69.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.88 €41.70

$37.07 ฿1,239

26.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.56 €12.96

$3.78 ฿126

285.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 €7.03

$6.50 ฿217

21.69%

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

$441 €392

$793 ฿26.5K

-44.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,894 €6,132

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-53.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 €74.0

$53.7 ฿1,796

54.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 €29.50

$24.62 ฿823

34.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 €63.9

$90.9 ฿3,036

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 €86.0

$71.1 ฿2,378

35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 €568

$455 ฿15.2K

40.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$298 ฿9,954

53.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 €1,131

$908 ฿30.4K

40.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 €840

$554 ฿18.5K

70.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,397 €3,021

$1,931 ฿64.5K

75.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,369 €2,107

$1,445 ฿48.3K

63.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 €500

$591 ฿19.7K

-4.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Berane: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berane

$458 35.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 34.9% $160

Groceries & Markets

Berane

$224 17.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 5% $11

Eating Out

Berane

$184 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 57.4% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berane

$180 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 47.5% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Berane

$128 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 15.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Berane

$63 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 20.1% $13

Getting Around

Berane

$53 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 14.2% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $638 in Berane and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Berane vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 vs $235, with Berane cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Berane

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

10:50 10:50 AM

6 h ahead of Berane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,073

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Berane
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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $638 in Berane versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,290 per month in Berane versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 34% less than in Berane. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,290 in Berane, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Berane. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Berane, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Berane and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Berane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.