Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bihac

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $982 in Bihac, rent and utilities included – about $560 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Bihac
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Bihac Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Bihac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bihac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $982 in Bihac.

Chiang Mai $935
Bihac $982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,429 in Bihac.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Bihac $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,876 in Bihac.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Bihac $1,876

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 5% less than in Bihac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bihac 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.77 BAM 11.80

-68.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$28.42 BAM 49.52

-34.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$5.62 BAM 9.79

-0.36%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.15 BAM 2.01

44.35%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.84 BAM 1.47

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$1.42 BAM 2.47

63.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.68 BAM 2.92

118.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.30 BAM 2.27

55.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.03 BAM 1.80

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.43 BAM 4.23

-42.80%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.90 BAM 5.05

-18.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$10.17 BAM 17.72

62.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$7.34 BAM 12.79

-63.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$10.90 BAM 19.00

-17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.76 BAM 3.06

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.63 BAM 2.85

-36.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.41 BAM 2.46

17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.95 BAM 3.40

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.17 BAM 2.03

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.45 BAM 2.53

-24.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.13 BAM 1.97

-32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.90 BAM 1.57

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.56 BAM 6.20

15.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$8.65 BAM 15.08

107.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.16 BAM 2.03

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$1.95 BAM 3.39

44.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.19 BAM 2.07

-21.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$34.36 BAM 59.9

53.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$1.16 BAM 2.03

1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.99 BAM 1.72

-82.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$10.41 BAM 18.13

-82.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.57 BAM 2.73

-6.37%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$30.6K BAM 53.2K

-31.24%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$20.9K BAM 36.5K

26.68%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$200 BAM 348

-68.71%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$18.26 BAM 31.81

-36.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$21.17 BAM 36.89

-4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$34.04 BAM 59.3

11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$12.93 BAM 22.52

-71.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$6.31 BAM 11.00

3.17%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$137 BAM 239

429.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$2,856 BAM 4,976

480.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$28.74 BAM 50.1

86.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$17.38 BAM 30.28

42.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$95.5 BAM 166

-5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$127 BAM 220

-43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$213 BAM 371

126.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$199 BAM 347

55.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$300 BAM 522

252.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$274 BAM 478

140.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,424 BAM 2,480

69.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$1,286 BAM 2,240

25.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$762 BAM 1,328

-21.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.3

29.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bihac: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Bihac

$199 20.3% 35.8% $111

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Bihac

$227 23.2% 3.9% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Bihac

$121 12.3% 11.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bihac

$239 24.4% 153% $145

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Bihac

$103 10.5% 35% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Bihac

$45 4.6% 22.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Bihac

$47 4.8% 8.3% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $213 in Bihac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bihac pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $28 in Bihac. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $227, with Bihac cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Bihac

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,690

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bihac 8,020 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bihac

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 Bihac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $982 in Bihac, so Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $213 in Bihac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $28 in Bihac. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $982 in Bihac – Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bihac are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Bihac on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.