Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cacak Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cacak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,090 in Cacak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $1,621 in Cacak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $2,151 in Cacak.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 20% less than in Cacak, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Cacak 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$7.28 RSD 736

-72.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$39.10 RSD 3,955

-51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$11.04 RSD 1,116

-29.80%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.60 RSD 162

20.00%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$2.21 RSD 223

-64.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$1.45 RSD 147

-75.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.55 RSD 258

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.50 RSD 253

46.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.27 RSD 128

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.81 RSD 81.8

101.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$2.80 RSD 284

-57.50%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$2.58 RSD 261

-22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$3.83 RSD 388

317.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$7.01 RSD 709

-56.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$12.68 RSD 1,282

-14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.29 RSD 131

113.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.83 RSD 185

-35.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.56 RSD 158

5.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$2.46 RSD 249

-38.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.93 RSD 93.8

48.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.95 RSD 95.7

25.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.81 RSD 81.9

-13.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.57 RSD 57.6

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$4.41 RSD 446

3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$5.49 RSD 555

201.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$0.91 RSD 91.6

101.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.24 RSD 226

42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.91 RSD 92.0

-3.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$28.02 RSD 2,834

-33.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.97 RSD 199

-30.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.63 RSD 63.9

112.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$9.21 RSD 931

-14.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.70 RSD 172

-27.65%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$27.5K RSD 2.8M

-21.30%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$28.6K RSD 2.9M

-21.16%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$146 RSD 14.7K

-51.53%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$19.79 RSD 2,001

-30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$19.79 RSD 2,002

-11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$31.07 RSD 3,142

33.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$16.35 RSD 1,654

-57.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$6.29 RSD 637

-8.27%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$346 RSD 35.0K

-11.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$7,405 RSD 748.9K

97.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$109 RSD 11.0K

-48.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$46.54 RSD 4,707

-43.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$124 RSD 12.5K

-30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$137 RSD 13.8K

-47.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$370 RSD 37.4K

16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$301 RSD 30.4K

-20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$559 RSD 56.5K

46.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$422 RSD 42.7K

21.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$2,067 RSD 209.0K

-4.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$1,499 RSD 151.6K

-1.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$765 RSD 77.4K

-19.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.31

-31.60%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cacak: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $370 in Cacak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cacak pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $39.00 in Cacak. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $198, with Cacak 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 Cacak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cacak earns 24% less. 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $370 in Cacak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Chiang Mai versus $346 in Cacak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Cacak pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,090 in Cacak, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cacak. 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 Cacak, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cacak 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 25% less than in Cacak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.