Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Belgrade
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Belgrade Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Belgrade

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Belgrade

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Belgrade actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,541 in Belgrade, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Belgrade $1,541

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,343 in Belgrade, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Belgrade $2,343

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,146 in Belgrade, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Belgrade $3,146

Chiang Mai is about 39% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Belgrade is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$13.09 RSD 1,379

-82.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$56.1 RSD 5,914

-66.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$13.35 RSD 1,407

-58.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.10 RSD 327

-46.13%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.72 RSD 287

-76.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$2.24 RSD 236

-86.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.51 RSD 370

-32.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.06 RSD 428

-9.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.39 RSD 146

40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.12 RSD 118

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.65 RSD 279

-49.81%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.69 RSD 283

-15.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$10.92 RSD 1,151

50.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.52 RSD 687

-57.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.55 RSD 1,638

-40.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.59 RSD 167

47.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.83 RSD 193

-46.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.80 RSD 190

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$3.10 RSD 326

-51.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.87 RSD 91.2

47.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.66 RSD 69.2

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.77 RSD 80.9

-7.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.69 RSD 72.6

-28.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.73 RSD 499

-12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.61 RSD 908

103.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.94 RSD 99.2

71.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.51 RSD 159

84.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.02 RSD 318

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.99 RSD 104

-46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$17.07 RSD 1,799

-85.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.87 RSD 197

-22.46%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$31.0K RSD 3.3M

-32.12%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$23.4K RSD 2.5M

15.04%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$212 RSD 22.4K

-70.71%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$24.87 RSD 2,621

-51.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$34.64 RSD 3,650

-41.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$40.02 RSD 4,217

-6.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$22.70 RSD 2,392

-83.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.02 RSD 845

-19.08%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$439 RSD 46.2K

67.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$11.3K RSD 1.2M

30.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$111 RSD 11.7K

-51.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$47.02 RSD 4,954

-47.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$113 RSD 11.9K

-18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$152 RSD 16.0K

-52.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$806 RSD 84.9K

-40.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$547 RSD 57.6K

-43.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,551 RSD 163.4K

-35.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$982 RSD 103.4K

-35.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$5,342 RSD 562.9K

-55.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$3,117 RSD 328.4K

-49.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,217 RSD 128.2K

-51.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.61

20.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Belgrade

$547 35.5% 77% $238

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Belgrade

$240 15.6% 2.5% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Belgrade

$190 12.3% 75% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Belgrade

$272 17.6% 188% $177

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Belgrade

$228 14.8% 193% $150

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Belgrade

$8 * 0.5% 87% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Belgrade

$56 3.6% 11.5% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $806 in Belgrade. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Belgrade are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $56 in Belgrade. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇸 Belgrade

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

15:06 3:06 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,197,714 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.49 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.49 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Belgrade 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Belgrade

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $1,541 in Belgrade – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,311 in Belgrade. 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 $482 there versus $806 in Belgrade.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $439 in Belgrade. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,541 in Belgrade. That’s a gap of about 65%.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,541 in Belgrade. 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 $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,541 in Belgrade. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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