Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kicevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kicevo: $893 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kicevo
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Kicevo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Kicevo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $893 in Kicevo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Kicevo $893

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,312 in Kicevo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Kicevo $1,312

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,732 in Kicevo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Kicevo $1,732

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Kicevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kicevo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kicevo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$3.91 MKD 213

-45.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$18.07 MKD 984

3.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$4.46 MKD 243

25.56%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.13 MKD 61.8

46.90%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.34 MKD 73.3

-51.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.71 MKD 38.93

-57.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.24 MKD 122

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.22 MKD 121

65.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.24 MKD 67.5

62.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.57 MKD 31.18

147.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.83 MKD 99.5

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$2.44 MKD 133

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$7.23 MKD 394

128.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$7.58 MKD 413

-64.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$15.17 MKD 827

-40.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.48 MKD 80.8

62.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.41 MKD 76.6

-26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.38 MKD 75.3

20.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.88 MKD 102

-17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.88 MKD 48.08

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.84 MKD 45.69

29.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.60 MKD 32.63

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.37 MKD 20.25

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.96 MKD 161

39.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$5.36 MKD 292

234.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.06 MKD 58.0

52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.47 MKD 80.2

91.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.70 MKD 38.00

32.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$23.27 MKD 1,268

127.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.07 MKD 58.2

10.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.61 MKD 33.36

-72.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$7.46 MKD 407

-75.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.33 MKD 72.7

10.53%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$33.4K MKD 1.8M

-37.10%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$26.5K MKD 1.4M

-0.08%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$155 MKD 8,468

-59.75%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$18.25 MKD 994

-36.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$19.30 MKD 1,052

5.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$21.78 MKD 1,186

73.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$17.48 MKD 953

-78.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$7.36 MKD 401

-11.55%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$366 MKD 19.9K

98.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$5,725 MKD 311.9K

189.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$85.3 MKD 4,645

-37.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$36.74 MKD 2,002

-32.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$102 MKD 5,556

-11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$112 MKD 6,117

-35.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$274 MKD 14.9K

75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$198 MKD 10.8K

56.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$504 MKD 27.5K

109.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$303 MKD 16.5K

117.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,522 MKD 82.9K

58.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,165 MKD 63.5K

38.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$568 MKD 30.9K

4.73%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kicevo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Kicevo

$198 22.2% 36% $112

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Kicevo

$201 22.5% 15% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Kicevo

$151 17% 39.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kicevo

$193 21.6% 104% $99

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Kicevo

$82 9.2% 7.3% $5.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Kicevo

$30 3.4% 48.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Kicevo

$37 4.1% 28.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $274 in Kicevo. 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 5% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Kicevo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $201 – making Kicevo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Kicevo

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

31,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MKD = 1.84 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 54.48 MKD (100 MKD = 1.84 USD). 1 EUR = 61.19 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kicevo 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kicevo

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 Kicevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Kicevo, 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 $1,339 in Kicevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kicevo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $366 in Kicevo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $893 in Kicevo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kicevo – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Kicevo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.