Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kakanj

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Kakanj: $936 and $937 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Kakanj
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Kakanj Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kakanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $937 in Kakanj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kakanj $937

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,424 in Kakanj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kakanj $1,424

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,912 in Kakanj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kakanj $1,912

Chiang Mai and Kakanj have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Kakanj are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kakanj 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.84 BAM 11.97

-67.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$37.29 BAM 65.2

-49.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.67 BAM 11.66

-16.79%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.63 BAM 2.85

2.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.90 BAM 3.33

-66.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.28 BAM 2.23

-75.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.30 BAM 4.02

2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.99 BAM 3.48

83.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.13 BAM 1.98

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.49

$1.07 BAM 1.87

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.05

$2.11 BAM 3.68

-36.97%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.10 BAM 5.42

-26.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.73 BAM 18.76

53.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$7.34 BAM 12.84

-62.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.70 BAM 23.96

-32.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.05 BAM 1.84

123.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.81

$1.68 BAM 2.93

-42.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.31 BAM 2.30

22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.43 BAM 2.50

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.14

$1.01 BAM 1.76

26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.21

$0.96 BAM 1.68

14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.83

$1.16 BAM 2.03

-38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.71 BAM 1.24

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.05 BAM 7.07

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.00 BAM 13.98

119.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.04 BAM 1.81

54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.48 BAM 2.58

87.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.32

$1.36 BAM 2.37

-36.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.07

$1.56 BAM 2.73

-25.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.81

$0.75 BAM 1.31

-29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$10.78 BAM 18.85

-77.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.91

$1.52 BAM 2.67

-4.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.9K

$31.9K BAM 55.8K

-33.95%

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

$26.9K ฿909.5K

$24.0K BAM 42.0K

12.12%

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

$62.2 ฿2,099

$137 BAM 240

-54.78%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$19.19 BAM 33.56

-36.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$28.69 BAM 50.2

-29.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$29.99 BAM 52.4

24.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.33 BAM 25.05

-73.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.72 BAM 11.75

-3.42%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$127 BAM 223

478.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.4K

$11.7K BAM 20.5K

26.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$66.7 BAM 117

-20.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$37.32 BAM 65.3

-33.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,088

$83.2 BAM 145

9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$106 BAM 185

-32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$277 BAM 485

73.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$220 BAM 384

40.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$568 BAM 994

76.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$340 BAM 595

86.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,570 BAM 4,495

-8.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,573 BAM 2,751

1.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kakanj: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kakanj

$220 23.5% 28.8% $89

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kakanj

$223 23.8% 4.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kakanj

$132 14.1% 21.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kakanj

$185 19.8% 96.2% $91

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kakanj

$123 13.1% 57.9% $45

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kakanj

$11 * 1.2% 82.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kakanj

$43 4.6% 13.6% $6.9

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 $277 in Kakanj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Kakanj. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $223 in Kakanj – so Kakanj wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Kakanj

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

21:45 9:45 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

11,796

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BAM = 0.572 USD

1 BAM = 0.513 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 October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.76 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.513 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Kakanj 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kakanj

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 Kakanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,405 in Kakanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kakanj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $277 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Kakanj – 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 $19 in Chiang Mai and $37 in Kakanj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $937 in Kakanj. 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 $937 in Kakanj. 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.