Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Prilep

For one person, living is cheaper in Prilep: $730 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Prilep
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Prilep Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Prilep

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $730 in Prilep, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Prilep $730

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,110 in Prilep, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Prilep $1,110

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,489 in Prilep, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Prilep $1,489

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Prilep, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Prilep are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Prilep 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.90 MKD 215

-42.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$27.36 MKD 1,505

-30.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.77 MKD 317

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.43 MKD 78.6

16.78%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.61 MKD 88.4

-60.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.18 MKD 64.8

-73.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.58 MKD 87.1

49.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.96 MKD 108

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.13 MKD 62.3

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.67 MKD 37.09

114.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.55 MKD 85.4

-14.19%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.04 MKD 112

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.95 MKD 383

136.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.88 MKD 323

-52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.23 MKD 618

-17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.85 MKD 46.53

176.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.34 MKD 73.8

-27.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.00 MKD 55.2

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.24 MKD 68.3

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.75 MKD 41.43

70.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.85 MKD 46.76

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.58 MKD 32.03

22.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.44 MKD 24.38

11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.89 MKD 159

43.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.09 MKD 280

244.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.01 MKD 55.4

59.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.18 MKD 64.9

135.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.35 MKD 19.07

148.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$18.30 MKD 1,006

195.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.11 MKD 60.8

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.60 MKD 33.14

-11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$6.47 MKD 356

-62.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.47 MKD 81.1

-1.36%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

-36.38%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$26.5K MKD 1.5M

1.51%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$123 MKD 6,778

-49.55%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$17.30 MKD 952

-29.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$13.82 MKD 760

45.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$20.03 MKD 1,102

86.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.23 MKD 452

-54.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.12 MKD 282

26.76%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$277 MKD 15.2K

166.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$1,158 MKD 63.7K

1175.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$37.29 MKD 2,051

43.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$36.81 MKD 2,024

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$67.2 MKD 3,695

36.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$80.1 MKD 4,405

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$229 MKD 12.6K

110.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$166 MKD 9,113

86.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$497 MKD 27.3K

102.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$276 MKD 15.2K

129.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,029 MKD 56.6K

129.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$807 MKD 44.4K

96.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$603 MKD 33.2K

-2.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.23

31.68%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Prilep: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Prilep

$166 22.7% 46.4% $143

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Prilep

$168 23% 28.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Prilep

$100 13.6% 8.3% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Prilep

$154 21.1% 63.4% $60

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Prilep

$89 12.1% 14.3% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Prilep

$24 3.3% 61.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Prilep

$30 4.2% 39.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $229 in Prilep. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Prilep. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $168 in Prilep – so Prilep wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Prilep

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

63,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.65 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.38 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Prilep 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Prilep

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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 28% more than Prilep, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,096 in Prilep. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prilep, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $229 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $277 in Prilep. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Prilep – 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.