Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bijelo Polje

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,289 in Bijelo Polje, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Bijelo Polje
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Bijelo Polje Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Bijelo Polje

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bijelo Polje

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,289 in Bijelo Polje, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Bijelo Polje $1,289

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,011 in Bijelo Polje, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Bijelo Polje $2,011

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,733 in Bijelo Polje, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Bijelo Polje $2,733

Chiang Mai is about 28% cheaper than Bijelo Polje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Bijelo Polje are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bijelo Polje 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$11.02 €9.80

-79.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$36.35 €32.33

-45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$9.06 €8.06

-38.08%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.64 €2.34

-37.12%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$2.48 €2.21

-71.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.58 €1.40

-80.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.85 €2.54

-15.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.40 €3.03

9.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.19 €1.06

63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.97 €0.86

45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$2.89 €2.57

-54.67%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.07 €2.73

-28.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$9.14 €8.13

82.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.19 €6.40

-61.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$12.62 €11.22

-27.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.32 €1.18

81.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.56 €1.39

-33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.56 €1.39

4.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$2.99 €2.66

-49.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.93 €0.83

38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.27 €1.13

-12.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.52 €1.36

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.89 €0.79

-40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.89 €3.46

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.59 €4.08

291.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.27 €1.13

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.72 €1.53

65.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.64 €1.46

-47.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$38.93 €34.63

36.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.15 €1.02

5.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$1.14 €1.01

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$16.71 €14.86

-85.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.76 €1.56

-18.18%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$32.6K €29.0K

-36.47%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$21.2K €18.8K

26.52%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$132 €118

-52.88%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$12.88 €11.46

-5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$34.04 €30.28

-41.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$46.82 €41.65

-20.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$14.36 €12.77

-73.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$8.01 €7.13

-18.85%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$56.3 €50.1

1306.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,950 €6,182

113.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$84.9 €75.5

-36.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$33.21 €29.54

-25.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$72.3 €64.3

25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$95.8 €85.2

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$633 €563

-28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$456 €406

-34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,292 €1,149

-29.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$930 €827

-40.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$3,396 €3,021

-43.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$2,291 €2,038

-36.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$848 €754

-30.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.45

2.20%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bijelo Polje: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Bijelo Polje

$456 35.4% 53.1% $158

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Bijelo Polje

$225 17.5% 4.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Bijelo Polje

$129 10% 19.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Bijelo Polje

$179 13.9% 89.9% $85

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Bijelo Polje

$184 14.3% 135% $106

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bijelo Polje

$52 4.1% 13.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bijelo Polje

$63 4.9% 25.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $633 in Bijelo Polje. 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 43% higher in Bijelo Polje, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $36.00 in Bijelo Polje. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $225 in Bijelo Polje – so Bijelo Polje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇪 Bijelo Polje

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,117

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bijelo Polje 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bijelo Polje

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 Bijelo Polje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bijelo Polje is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,933 in Bijelo Polje. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Bijelo Polje – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $36.00 in Bijelo Polje. 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 $925, than in Bijelo Polje at $1,289. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bijelo Polje 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, Bijelo Polje makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.