Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kavadarci

For one person, living is cheaper in Kavadarci: $770 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Kavadarci
Learn more

Kavadarci Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kavadarci

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $770 in Kavadarci, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kavadarci $770

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,170 in Kavadarci, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kavadarci $1,170

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,570 in Kavadarci, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kavadarci $1,570

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Kavadarci, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kavadarci are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kavadarci 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$5.37 MKD 294

-58.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$27.21 MKD 1,488

-30.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.68 MKD 201

50.82%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.45 MKD 79.4

15.17%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.10 MKD 60.2

-41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.77 MKD 42.16

-59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.60 MKD 87.7

47.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.20 MKD 121

66.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.22 MKD 66.9

59.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.76 MKD 41.41

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.41 MKD 77.2

-5.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.51 MKD 137

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$6.99 MKD 382

135.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.44 MKD 352

-56.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.27 MKD 561

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$0.62 MKD 34.11

279.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.41 MKD 76.9

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.17 MKD 64.0

36.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.94 MKD 106

-22.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.87 MKD 47.62

47.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.80 MKD 43.69

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.62 MKD 34.13

14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.48 MKD 26.42

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.25 MKD 177

27.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$3.73 MKD 204

369.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$0.87 MKD 47.83

85.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.33 MKD 72.9

109.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.71 MKD 38.95

22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$29.53 MKD 1,615

83.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.07 MKD 58.3

8.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.56 MKD 30.88

-5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$3.74 MKD 205

-35.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.47 MKD 80.1

-1.36%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$34.4K MKD 1.9M

-38.73%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$25.0K MKD 1.4M

7.58%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$87.4 MKD 4,777

-28.83%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$8.96 MKD 490

35.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$19.30 MKD 1,055

4.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$22.17 MKD 1,212

68.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.11 MKD 280

27.01%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$371 MKD 20.3K

98.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,627 MKD 307.7K

162.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$71.9 MKD 3,933

-25.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$36.53 MKD 1,997

-32.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$86.8 MKD 4,746

5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$114 MKD 6,226

-36.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$216 MKD 11.8K

123.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$183 MKD 10.0K

68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$366 MKD 20.0K

174.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$269 MKD 14.7K

135.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,263 MKD 69.0K

87.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,045 MKD 57.2K

51.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$576 MKD 31.5K

2.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.23

31.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kavadarci: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kavadarci

$183 23.8% 40.7% $126

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kavadarci

$172 22.4% 26.4% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kavadarci

$139 18.1% 28% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kavadarci

$116 15% 22.4% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kavadarci

$91 11.9% 17.8% $14

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kavadarci

$36 4.7% 40.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kavadarci

$32 4.2% 35.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $216 in Kavadarci. 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 $27 in Kavadarci. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $172 in Kavadarci – so Kavadarci wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Kavadarci

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

07:19 7:19 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

29,320

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 54.68 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.29 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kavadarci 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kavadarci

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 Kavadarci: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Kavadarci, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,155 in Kavadarci. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kavadarci, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $371 in Kavadarci. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Kavadarci – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.