Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Osijek

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,437 in Osijek, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Osijek, Croatia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Osijek
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,437
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,437 in Osijek, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Osijek $1,437

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,217 in Osijek, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Osijek $2,217

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,998 in Osijek, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Osijek $2,998

Chiang Mai is about 35% cheaper than Osijek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Osijek is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$11.21 €10.07
-80.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$56.3 €50.5
-66.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$9.05 €8.13
-38.67%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$2.67 €2.40
-37.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$3.40 €3.06
-81.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$2.87 €2.57
-89.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$5.53 €4.97
-57.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$5.50 €4.94
-33.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.14 €1.02
71.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$1.48 €1.33
-2.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$2.78 €2.50
-52.16%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$3.46 €3.11
-34.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$11.63 €10.45
41.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$8.66 €7.78
-67.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$11.54 €10.36
-19.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$1.73 €1.56
35.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$1.64 €1.47
-40.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.82 €1.64
-12.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$2.62 €2.36
-42.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$1.32 €1.19
-3.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$1.17 €1.05
-5.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$1.18 €1.06
-39.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$1.18 €1.06
-58.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$5.95 €5.35
-30.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$8.38 €7.53
109.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.61 €1.44
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$2.01 €1.80
38.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
$1.74 €1.56
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
$37.15 €33.37
45.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$2.19 €1.97
-47.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$1.09 €0.98
-51.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$14.79 €13.28
-83.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.89 €1.70
-23.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$27.3K €24.5K
-22.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$24.9K €22.3K
8.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$193 €174
-67.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$21.77 €19.56
-44.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$44.37 €39.85
-54.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
$43.77 €39.32
-14.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$8.78 €7.88
-57.06%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$9.90 €8.89
-34.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$414 €372
77.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$4,095 €3,679
260.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$104 €93.2
-48.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$38.98 €35.01
-36.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$97.7 €87.8
-6.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$109 €98.4
-34.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$652 €585
-26.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$435 €391
-28.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
$1,189 €1,068
-15.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$835 €750
-24.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$2,761 €2,480
-14.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
$2,173 €1,952
-26.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Osijek
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$1,343 €1,206
-56.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.67
51.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Osijek: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Osijek
$435 40.8% $126
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Osijek
$257 9.7% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Osijek
$157 44.9% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Osijek
$259 175% $165
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Osijek
$213 174% $135
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Osijek
$52 15.7% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Osijek
$64 26.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $652 in Osijek. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Osijek are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $56 in Osijek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $257 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇭🇷 Osijek
🕒 Local time
03:37 3:37 AM
21:37 9:37 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
75,535
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Osijek 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Osijek

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 Osijek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Osijek?
Osijek costs about 54% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Osijek?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,155 in Osijek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Osijek?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $652 in Osijek.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Osijek?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $414 in Osijek. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Osijek?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Osijek, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Osijek?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,437 in Osijek. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Chiang Mai or Osijek?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,437 in Osijek. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Osijek?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Osijek?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osijek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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