Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cazin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cazin: $823 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cazin, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Cazin
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$823
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $823 in Cazin.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Cazin $823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,234 in Cazin.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Cazin $1,234

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,644 in Cazin.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Cazin $1,644

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 14% more expensive than in Cazin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cazin 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$4.46 BAM 7.82
-49.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$23.01 BAM 40.31
-17.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$8.69 BAM 15.23
-36.13%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$1.12 BAM 1.96
49.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.85 BAM 3.24
-65.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$1.26 BAM 2.21
-75.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$1.54 BAM 2.71
53.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$2.51 BAM 4.40
45.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.21 BAM 2.12
61.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$1.11 BAM 1.95
29.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$2.13 BAM 3.74
-37.56%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$2.11 BAM 3.69
8.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$10.02 BAM 17.55
64.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$7.24 BAM 12.68
-61.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$14.62 BAM 25.61
-36.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$1.48 BAM 2.60
58.78%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.70 BAM 2.97
-42.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.57 BAM 2.75
1.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.67 BAM 2.92
-10.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$0.99 BAM 1.73
29.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$1.06 BAM 1.86
3.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$1.12 BAM 1.97
-36.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.73 BAM 1.27
-32.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$3.76 BAM 6.59
10.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$7.23 BAM 12.66
142.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$0.88 BAM 1.55
82.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.14 BAM 2.00
143.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$1.77 BAM 3.09
-50.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$35.76 BAM 62.6
51.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$1.76 BAM 3.09
-34.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.89 BAM 1.56
-40.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$8.56 BAM 14.99
-71.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.55 BAM 2.72
-6.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$23.2K BAM 40.6K
-9.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$22.4K BAM 39.2K
20.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$116 BAM 203
-46.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$14.34 BAM 25.12
-15.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$27.42 BAM 48.03
-26.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$24.36 BAM 42.68
53.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$13.06 BAM 22.88
-71.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$4.31 BAM 7.56
50.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$203 BAM 355
263.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$3,806 BAM 6,667
287.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$39.35 BAM 68.9
35.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$29.15 BAM 51.1
-15.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$49.31 BAM 86.4
85.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$76.2 BAM 134
-5.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$232 BAM 407
107.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$174 BAM 304
77.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$363 BAM 636
176.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$271 BAM 474
134.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$1,284 BAM 2,250
83.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$1,113 BAM 1,950
42.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Cazin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$704 BAM 1,233
-16.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.08
36.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cazin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Cazin
$174 43.8% $135
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Cazin
$222 5.3% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Cazin
$87 19.6% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Cazin
$157 66.6% $63
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Cazin
$100 29.4% $23
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Cazin
$49 20.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Cazin
$33 34.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $232 in Cazin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cazin pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $23 in Cazin. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $222, with Cazin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇦 Cazin
🕒 Local time
12:43 12:43 PM
06:43 6:43 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
13,863
Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Cazin 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Cazin

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 Cazin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chiang Mai and in Cazin?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $823 in Cazin, so Cazin is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 16% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Cazin?
Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $232 in Cazin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $23 in Cazin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Chiang Mai or Cazin?
All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $823 in Cazin – Cazin is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,200 go in Chiang Mai compared to Cazin?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Cazin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Chiang Mai and Cazin?
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 Cazin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cazin are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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