Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Neum

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Neum: $935 and $927 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Neum
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Neum Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Neum

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $927 in Neum, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Neum $927

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,395 in Neum, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Neum $1,395

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,863 in Neum, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Neum $1,863

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$5.13 BAM 8.98

-58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$31.22 BAM 54.6

-40.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.77 BAM 10.09

-2.95%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.89 BAM 3.30

-12.17%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$1.92 BAM 3.36

-66.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$1.24 BAM 2.17

-75.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$2.56 BAM 4.48

-9.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.20 BAM 3.85

66.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.17 BAM 2.04

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$0.96 BAM 1.68

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.99 BAM 3.47

-30.15%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.56 BAM 4.47

-7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$7.94 BAM 13.87

108.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$7.09 BAM 12.39

-62.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$10.69 BAM 18.68

-15.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.09 BAM 1.91

120.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.56 BAM 2.72

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.39 BAM 2.43

19.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.19 BAM 2.07

31.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$0.98 BAM 1.72

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.01 BAM 1.77

7.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.75 BAM 1.32

1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.66 BAM 1.15

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$3.73 BAM 6.52

10.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$4.02 BAM 7.03

346.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$0.74 BAM 1.29

118.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$0.95 BAM 1.66

196.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$1.18 BAM 2.06

-21.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

$56.6 BAM 99.0

-6.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$1.68 BAM 2.94

-29.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.54 BAM 0.95

-68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$5.61 BAM 9.81

-67.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.61 BAM 2.82

-8.70%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$30.3K BAM 52.9K

-30.55%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$21.3K BAM 37.2K

24.73%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$133 BAM 233

-53.14%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$17.86 BAM 31.22

-35.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$26.16 BAM 45.72

-22.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$33.79 BAM 59.1

12.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$12.80 BAM 22.37

-71.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$6.79 BAM 11.87

-4.12%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$195 BAM 341

273.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$2,266 BAM 3,961

631.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$59.3 BAM 104

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$32.85 BAM 57.4

-24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$86.9 BAM 152

4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$83.2 BAM 145

-13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$318 BAM 556

51.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$221 BAM 387

40.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$517 BAM 903

104.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$351 BAM 613

87.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$2,303 BAM 4,026

4.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,640 BAM 2,867

-1.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$869 BAM 1,519

-31.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.9

92.07%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Neum: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Neum

$221 23.9% 28.6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Neum

$187 20.1% 21.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Neum

$118 12.7% 8.9% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Neum

$178 19.1% 87.9% $83

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Neum

$111 12% 44.8% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Neum

$66 7.1% 12.1% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Neum

$47 5.1% 6.9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $318 in Neum. 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 46% higher in Neum. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $31 in Neum. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $187 in Neum – so Neum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Neum

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

00:48 12:48 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,200

💱 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 = 0.572 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Neum 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Neum

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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,391 in Neum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Neum, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $318 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $31 in Neum. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $927 in Neum, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Neum – 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.