Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kocani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kocani: $874 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $740 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Kocani
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Kocani Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kocani

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $874 in Kocani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kocani $874

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,333 in Kocani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kocani $1,333

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,793 in Kocani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kocani $1,793

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Kocani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kocani are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kocani 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$9.85 MKD 539

-77.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$34.31 MKD 1,876

-44.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.59 MKD 361

-15.78%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.11 MKD 60.5

50.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.49 MKD 81.2

-57.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.11 MKD 60.9

-72.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.68 MKD 147

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.11 MKD 170

17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.18 MKD 64.7

65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.58 MKD 31.63

148.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.62 MKD 88.7

-17.90%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.76 MKD 96.1

29.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$6.53 MKD 357

151.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.36 MKD 238

-36.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.02 MKD 438

16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.26 MKD 68.7

86.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.41 MKD 77.0

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.25 MKD 68.3

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.87 MKD 102

-19.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.76 MKD 41.32

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.83 MKD 45.61

32.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.57 MKD 31.31

24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.46 MKD 25.39

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.52 MKD 193

17.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$3.74 MKD 205

368.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$0.80 MKD 43.90

101.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.07 MKD 58.4

159.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$1.39 MKD 76.3

-37.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$23.31 MKD 1,275

132.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.12 MKD 61.3

3.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.62 MKD 33.80

-14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$3.09 MKD 169

-21.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.41 MKD 77.1

2.84%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-37.72%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

3.35%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$156 MKD 8,526

-60.13%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$17.57 MKD 961

-30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$14.57 MKD 796

38.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$16.05 MKD 878

132.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.51 MKD 957

-78.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.27 MKD 398

-10.73%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$371 MKD 20.3K

98.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,705 MKD 311.9K

158.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$62.8 MKD 3,433

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$37.53 MKD 2,052

-34.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$91.9 MKD 5,027

-0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$101 MKD 5,544

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$274 MKD 15.0K

76.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$197 MKD 10.8K

56.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$558 MKD 30.5K

80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$332 MKD 18.1K

90.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,693 MKD 92.5K

39.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,001 MKD 54.7K

58.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$456 MKD 24.9K

29.39%

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 Kocani: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kocani

$197 22.6% 36.2% $112

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kocani

$151 17.3% 35.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kocani

$132 15.1% 21.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kocani

$188 21.5% 99.1% $94

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kocani

$142 16.2% 82.9% $64

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kocani

$33 3.8% 46.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kocani

$31 3.5% 39.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $274 in Kocani. 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 29% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Kocani. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $151 in Kocani – so Kocani wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Kocani

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

29,000

💱 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 Kocani 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kocani

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 Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Kocani, 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 $1,311 in Kocani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kocani, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

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

Groceries cost about 55% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $874 in Kocani, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

If budget matters most, go with Kocani. 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.