Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lukavac

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Lukavac: $925 and $929 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Lukavac
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Lukavac Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Lukavac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $929 in Lukavac, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Lukavac $929

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,390 in Lukavac, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Lukavac $1,390

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,852 in Lukavac, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Lukavac $1,852

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

Both Chiang Mai and Lukavac are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Lukavac 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$5.22 BAM 9.08

-56.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$30.83 BAM 53.6

-36.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.65 BAM 9.82

-0.71%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.71 BAM 2.97

-2.92%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.89 BAM 3.28

-62.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.18 BAM 2.05

-73.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.31 BAM 4.02

4.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.20 BAM 3.83

68.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.28 BAM 2.22

52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.87 BAM 1.52

62.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.97 BAM 3.43

-33.50%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.61 BAM 4.54

-16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$10.16 BAM 17.66

63.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.40 BAM 12.86

-62.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.62 BAM 18.47

-14.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.13 BAM 1.96

111.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.60 BAM 2.79

-35.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.36 BAM 2.36

19.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.20 BAM 2.08

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.03 BAM 1.80

25.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.03 BAM 1.79

7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.75 BAM 1.31

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.67 BAM 1.16

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.86 BAM 6.71

11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$3.97 BAM 6.91

352.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.77 BAM 1.34

105.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$0.94 BAM 1.63

202.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$1.27 BAM 2.22

-32.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$60.8 BAM 106

-12.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.74 BAM 3.02

-30.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.59 BAM 1.03

-3.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.78 BAM 10.06

-59.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.52 BAM 2.64

-5.26%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.6K BAM 53.1K

-32.15%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$21.0K BAM 36.5K

27.80%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$92.5 BAM 161

-32.64%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$17.40 BAM 30.26

-30.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$25.86 BAM 44.97

-22.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$32.90 BAM 57.2

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.52 BAM 9.61

17.75%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$138 BAM 239

476.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$3,891 BAM 6,765

280.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$59.0 BAM 103

-8.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$32.38 BAM 56.3

-23.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$96.9 BAM 169

-6.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$83.5 BAM 145

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$338 BAM 588

34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$253 BAM 440

17.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$519 BAM 902

75.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$368 BAM 640

50.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,447 BAM 4,255

-21.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,734 BAM 3,014

-16.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$572 BAM 994

3.37%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Lukavac: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Lukavac

$253 27.3% 15% $45

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Lukavac

$196 21.1% 16.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Lukavac

$122 13.2% 13.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Lukavac

$136 14.6% 43.9% $41

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Lukavac

$107 11.6% 36.7% $29

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Lukavac

$71 7.6% 16.2% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Lukavac

$44 4.7% 12.2% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $338 in Lukavac. 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 3% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $31.00 in Lukavac. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $196 in Lukavac – so Lukavac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Lukavac

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,061

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Lukavac 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lukavac

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 Lukavac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,393 in Lukavac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $31.00 in Lukavac. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Lukavac at $929. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lukavac it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $929 in Lukavac. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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