Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sabac

For one person, living is cheaper in Sabac: $840 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sabac
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Sabac Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Sabac

🇷🇸 Serbia

$840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $840 in Sabac, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Sabac $840

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,276 in Sabac, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Sabac $1,276

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,712 in Sabac, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Sabac $1,712

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Sabac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Sabac are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sabac 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.23 RSD 858

-72.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$27.55 RSD 2,872

-28.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.71 RSD 700

-16.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.87 RSD 195

-11.23%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.87 RSD 195

-62.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.40 RSD 146

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.63 RSD 274

-8.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.63 RSD 274

41.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.31 RSD 136

48.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.62 RSD 65.0

127.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.92 RSD 200

-31.77%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.89 RSD 197

15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$5.65 RSD 589

194.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.31 RSD 658

-56.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.48 RSD 1,197

-20.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.24 RSD 129

92.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.80 RSD 188

-42.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.45 RSD 151

12.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.88 RSD 196

-20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.70 RSD 72.6

84.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.35 RSD 36.08

217.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$1.00 RSD 105

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.40 RSD 41.90

32.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.61 RSD 377

19.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.74 RSD 807

131.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.66 RSD 68.4

139.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$0.94 RSD 97.6

202.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.93 RSD 97.1

-7.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.39 RSD 145

-12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.95 RSD 98.9

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.11 RSD 532

-54.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.76 RSD 183

-18.18%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.3K RSD 3.2M

-31.51%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.4K RSD 2.5M

9.66%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$138 RSD 14.4K

-54.77%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$25.50 RSD 2,658

-52.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.96 RSD 1,976

5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$29.17 RSD 3,041

27.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$11.44 RSD 1,192

-66.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.58 RSD 581

16.49%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$176 RSD 18.3K

350.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$3,770 RSD 393.0K

292.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$59.8 RSD 6,238

-10.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$64.5 RSD 6,721

-61.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$56.6 RSD 5,898

60.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$118 RSD 12.3K

-39.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$234 RSD 24.4K

94.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$151 RSD 15.7K

97.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$345 RSD 35.9K

163.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$250 RSD 26.1K

121.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,884 RSD 196.4K

2.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,514 RSD 157.8K

-4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$962 RSD 100.3K

-38.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.84

15.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sabac: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Sabac

$151 18% 49.3% $147

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Sabac

$182 21.7% 22.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Sabac

$135 16% 24.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sabac

$182 21.7% 93.1% $88

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Sabac

$140 16.7% 78% $61

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sabac

$9.9 * 1.2% 83.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sabac

$40 4.8% 19.5% $9.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $234 in Sabac. 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 63% higher in Sabac, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $28.00 in Sabac. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $182 in Sabac – so Sabac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇸 Sabac

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

13:38 1:38 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

51,163

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sabac 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sabac

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 Sabac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Sabac, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,260 in Sabac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sabac, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $28.00 in Sabac. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sabac, where all-in costs run around $840, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sabac it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sabac costs $840 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Sabac. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.