Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Maglaj

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Maglaj: $925 and $904 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Maglaj
Learn more

Maglaj Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Maglaj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $904 in Maglaj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Maglaj $904

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,369 in Maglaj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Maglaj $1,369

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,835 in Maglaj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Maglaj $1,835

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Maglaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Maglaj are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Maglaj 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.2

$6.88 BAM 11.98

-66.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿663

$36.91 BAM 64.3

-46.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿189

$6.84 BAM 11.91

-17.98%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.64 BAM 2.86

1.22%

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

$0.70 ฿23.61

$1.90 BAM 3.31

-63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.33

$1.18 BAM 2.05

-73.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.1

$2.23 BAM 3.88

8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿125

$2.24 BAM 3.90

65.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.9

$1.40 BAM 2.44

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.47

$0.95 BAM 1.66

48.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.03

$1.75 BAM 3.05

-25.14%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.6

$2.77 BAM 4.82

-21.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿562

$7.64 BAM 13.31

117.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.0

$6.72 BAM 11.71

-58.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿307

$9.55 BAM 16.63

-4.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.7

$1.12 BAM 1.95

113.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.58

$1.59 BAM 2.78

-35.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$1.68 BAM 2.92

-2.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.67 BAM 2.91

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.53

$1.11 BAM 1.94

16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.37

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.30

$0.97 BAM 1.69

-25.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.76

$0.83 BAM 1.45

-36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿145

$3.48 BAM 6.06

23.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿605

$6.95 BAM 12.11

158.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$1.12 BAM 1.95

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.13 BAM 1.97

151.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.13

$1.26 BAM 2.19

-31.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,797

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.66

$1.76 BAM 3.06

-31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.16

$1.16 BAM 2.02

-50.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$10.34 BAM 18.02

-77.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.40

$1.50 BAM 2.61

-4.00%

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

$20.7K ฿699.2K

$29.9K BAM 52.1K

-30.71%

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

$26.8K ฿904.0K

$21.4K BAM 37.4K

24.98%

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

$62.3 ฿2,102

$90.5 BAM 158

-31.09%

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

$12.11 ฿408

$18.20 BAM 31.71

-33.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿673

$28.52 BAM 49.69

-30.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,250

$32.80 BAM 57.2

13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿219

$4.60 BAM 8.01

41.30%

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

$793 ฿26.7K

$138 BAM 240

474.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿499.5K

$3,929 BAM 6,847

276.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,813

$57.7 BAM 100

-6.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿831

$31.56 BAM 55.0

-21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,064

$94.6 BAM 165

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,400

$129 BAM 224

-44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

$348 BAM 607

30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.0K

$251 BAM 437

18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.6K

$521 BAM 907

74.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$366 BAM 638

51.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.1K

$2,397 BAM 4,177

-19.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.7K

$1,755 BAM 3,058

-17.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.9K

$735 BAM 1,280

-19.58%

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 Maglaj: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Maglaj

$251 27.7% 15.9% $47

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Maglaj

$198 21.9% 15.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Maglaj

$141 15.6% 30% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Maglaj

$137 15.2% 45.3% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Maglaj

$123 13.6% 56.7% $45

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Maglaj

$13 * 1.4% 79.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Maglaj

$42 4.6% 16.1% $8.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $348 in Maglaj. 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 24% higher in Maglaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Maglaj. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $198 in Maglaj – so Maglaj wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Maglaj

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

7,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BAM = 0.574 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.79 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.574 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Maglaj

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 Maglaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Maglaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,356 in Maglaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maglaj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $455 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai and $37 in Maglaj. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $925 in Chiang Mai and $904 in Maglaj, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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.