Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,023 in Nis, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,023 in Nis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Nis $1,023

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,502 in Nis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Nis $1,502

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,980 in Nis, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Nis $1,980

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Nis are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Nis 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$8.78 RSD 915

-74.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$33.82 RSD 3,525

-43.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$9.67 RSD 1,008

-42.19%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.95 RSD 203

-11.79%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.29 RSD 239

-72.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.75 RSD 183

-81.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.65 RSD 380

-35.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.46 RSD 465

-12.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.13 RSD 118

81.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.70 RSD 72.9

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.75 RSD 182

-26.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.35 RSD 245

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.86 RSD 819

115.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.69 RSD 594

-51.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.37 RSD 1,081

-9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.11 RSD 116

116.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.67 RSD 174

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.48 RSD 155

8.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.14 RSD 223

-28.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.82 RSD 85.6

56.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.72 RSD 75.2

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.66 RSD 69.0

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.58 RSD 60.9

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.43 RSD 462

-2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$5.63 RSD 587

214.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.71 RSD 73.9

129.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.28 RSD 134

122.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.76 RSD 183

-33.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.70 RSD 72.9

-18.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.10 RSD 845

-70.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.89 RSD 197

-23.28%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$30.2K RSD 3.1M

-32.23%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$23.3K RSD 2.4M

14.00%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$161 RSD 16.8K

-61.39%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$18.82 RSD 1,962

-34.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$22.47 RSD 2,342

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$29.95 RSD 3,122

26.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$15.69 RSD 1,636

-76.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.73 RSD 493

41.86%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$247 RSD 25.8K

222.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$4,859 RSD 506.5K

205.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$89.7 RSD 9,350

-40.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$38.11 RSD 3,973

-34.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$98.6 RSD 10.3K

-7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$108 RSD 11.2K

-31.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$392 RSD 40.9K

18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$278 RSD 29.0K

9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$581 RSD 60.6K

57.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$400 RSD 41.7K

38.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,477 RSD 258.2K

-22.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,826 RSD 190.4K

-21.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$886 RSD 92.4K

-32.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.12

8.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Nis

$278 27.2% 8.7% $26

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Nis

$181 17.7% 24% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Nis

$150 14.7% 37.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Nis

$203 19.8% 114% $108

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Nis

$166 16.2% 110% $87

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5% 91.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Nis

$39 3.9% 23.2% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $392 in Nis. 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 49% higher in Nis, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Nis. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $181 in Nis – so Nis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

78,470

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Nis 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nis

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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nis costs about 9% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,534 in Nis. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $34.00 in Nis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 31% cheaper in Nis – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Nis at $1,023. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,023 in Nis. 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, Nis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.