🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,065 in Aleksinac.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,576 in Aleksinac.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,088 in Aleksinac.
🌍Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 12% less than in Aleksinac, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai32% lower, Aleksinac22% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.08฿69.3
$10.75RSD 1,095
-80.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.61฿653
$52.8RSD 5,376
-62.83%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.67฿189
$12.42RSD 1,266
-54.35%
Cappuccino
$1.81฿60.1
$2.71RSD 276
-33.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77฿25.58
$2.45RSD 250
-68.57%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35฿11.49
$1.98RSD 202
-82.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.21฿73.7
$2.99RSD 304
-26.09%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79฿126
$3.84RSD 391
-1.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.05฿68.2
$1.19RSD 121
72.27%
White Bread(500g)
$1.51฿50.4
$0.48RSD 48.54
214.58%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.40฿46.57
$2.87RSD 293
-51.22%
Eggs
$2.26฿75.2
$1.40RSD 142
61.43%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$16.19฿539
$5.99RSD 610
170.28%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.90฿96.4
$7.60RSD 775
-61.84%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.42฿314
$5.82RSD 593
61.86%
Apples(1kg)
$2.68฿89.2
$0.60RSD 61.5
346.67%
Banana(1kg)
$1.09฿36.28
$1.15RSD 117
-5.22%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.62฿53.8
$1.51RSD 153
7.28%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.46฿48.61
$1.96RSD 199
-25.51%
Potato(1kg)
$1.28฿42.54
$0.41RSD 41.50
212.20%
Onion(1kg)
$1.06฿35.21
$0.47RSD 47.80
125.53%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.72฿23.88
$0.29RSD 29.41
148.28%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53฿17.51
$0.70RSD 70.9
-24.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.23฿141
$4.70RSD 479
-10.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.29฿609
$5.06RSD 515
261.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63฿54.3
$0.60RSD 61.5
171.67%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90฿96.6
$0.82RSD 84.1
253.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.88฿29.24
$0.85RSD 86.8
3.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$53.8฿1,790
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.17฿39.04
$2.32RSD 236
-49.57%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.58฿19.25
$0.96RSD 97.8
-39.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.39฿79.4
$11.00RSD 1,121
-78.27%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.45฿48.28
$1.84RSD 187
-21.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K฿699.5K
$31.7KRSD 3.2M
-33.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K฿879.7K
$26.6KRSD 2.7M
-0.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$63.7฿2,119
$238RSD 24.2K
-73.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.89฿429
$20.96RSD 2,135
-38.50%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.52฿683
$34.54RSD 3,519
-40.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.02฿1,299
$28.04RSD 2,857
39.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.92฿130
$12.00RSD 1,223
-67.33%
Cinema Ticket
$6.58฿219
$7.37RSD 751
-10.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$784฿26.1K
$375RSD 38.2K
108.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.7K฿488.4K
$7,802RSD 795.0K
88.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1฿1,835
$24.35RSD 2,481
126.32%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.74฿824
$19.71RSD 2,008
25.52%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.1฿3,133
$105RSD 10.7K
-10.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.0฿2,462
$58.3RSD 5,941
26.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$490฿16.3K
$361RSD 36.8K
35.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$288฿9,594
$331RSD 33.8K
-13.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$891฿29.7K
$474RSD 48.3K
87.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$521฿17.3K
$464RSD 47.2K
12.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,974฿65.7K
$2,079RSD 211.8K
-5.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,444฿48.1K
$1,454RSD 148.2K
-0.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Aleksinac
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$602฿20.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
5.23
6.50%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026
Last update for Aleksinac: September 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $361 in Aleksinac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $53.0 in Aleksinac. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $159, with Aleksinac cheaper for home cooking.
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
Chiang Mai vs Aleksinac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chiang Mai and in Aleksinac?
Chiang Mai and Aleksinac differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $1,065 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Chiang Mai compared to Aleksinac?
You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $1,597 in Aleksinac to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Aleksinac?
Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $361 in Aleksinac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Chiang Mai and Aleksinac?
Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $375 in Aleksinac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $53.0 in Aleksinac. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,065 in Aleksinac, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Aleksinac. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Chiang Mai and Aleksinac?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Chiang Mai or Aleksinac safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Aleksinac are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Chiang Mai or Aleksinac?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Aleksinac. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared