Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Resen

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Resen: $936 and $957 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Resen
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Resen Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Resen

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $957 in Resen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Resen $957

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,461 in Resen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Resen $1,461

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,965 in Resen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Resen $1,965

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

Both Chiang Mai and Resen are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Resen 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$9.39 MKD 514

-76.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$35.01 MKD 1,914

-45.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.64 MKD 363

-16.42%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.08 MKD 114

-19.71%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.79 MKD 97.9

-64.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.32 MKD 71.9

-76.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.66 MKD 145

-11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.70 MKD 148

35.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.24 MKD 67.5

57.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.78 MKD 42.69

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.77 MKD 96.6

-24.86%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.49 MKD 136

-8.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$8.20 MKD 448

100.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$7.44 MKD 407

-62.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.01 MKD 821

-37.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.44 MKD 78.6

63.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.45 MKD 79.4

-33.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.32 MKD 72.3

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.94 MKD 106

-22.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.90 MKD 48.96

42.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.84 MKD 46.03

30.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.64 MKD 34.99

10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.58 MKD 31.72

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.44 MKD 188

20.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$7.18 MKD 393

144.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.07 MKD 58.3

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.44 MKD 78.6

93.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.82 MKD 44.61

6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$22.03 MKD 1,204

145.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.11 MKD 60.7

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.61 MKD 33.25

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$7.37 MKD 403

-67.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.57 MKD 85.8

-7.64%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-37.61%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

3.66%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$156 MKD 8,525

-60.12%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$18.53 MKD 1,013

-34.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$19.21 MKD 1,051

4.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$21.89 MKD 1,197

70.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.28 MKD 1,054

-80.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.13 MKD 390

-8.98%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$365 MKD 20.0K

101.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,684 MKD 310.8K

159.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$85.6 MKD 4,682

-37.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$36.23 MKD 1,981

-31.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$102 MKD 5,598

-10.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$113 MKD 6,166

-36.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$313 MKD 17.1K

53.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$183 MKD 10.0K

68.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$511 MKD 27.9K

97.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$287 MKD 15.7K

120.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,481 MKD 81.0K

59.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,245 MKD 68.1K

27.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Resen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Resen

$183 19.2% 40.6% $126

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Resen

$211 22.1% 9.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Resen

$152 15.9% 39.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Resen

$194 20.2% 105% $99

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Resen

$151 15.8% 94.9% $74

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Resen

$29 3.1% 52% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Resen

$36 3.8% 28.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $313 in Resen. 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 $35 in Resen. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Resen – so Resen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Resen

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

8,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 54.68 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.29 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Resen 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Resen

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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,435 in Resen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Resen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $35 in Resen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Resen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $957 in Resen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $957 in Resen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.