Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,212 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
Learn more

Sarajevo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,212 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sarajevo $1,212

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,843 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sarajevo $1,843

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,473 in Sarajevo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sarajevo $2,473

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Sarajevo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sarajevo 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$8.52 BAM 14.92

-73.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$40.08 BAM 70.2

-52.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.42 BAM 14.76

-34.09%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.26 BAM 3.95

-26.11%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.17 BAM 3.80

-70.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.41 BAM 2.47

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.93 BAM 5.12

-19.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.80 BAM 4.90

30.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.18 BAM 2.06

65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.20 BAM 2.11

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.12 BAM 3.72

-37.26%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.96 BAM 5.19

-22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.37 BAM 18.15

58.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$7.43 BAM 13.01

-62.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.64 BAM 25.65

-36.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.49 BAM 2.60

57.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.61 BAM 2.83

-39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.48 BAM 2.60

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.06 BAM 3.61

-27.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.99 BAM 1.73

29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.10 BAM 1.93

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.67 BAM 1.18

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.85 BAM 6.74

7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.18 BAM 12.57

144.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.92 BAM 1.62

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.48 BAM 2.59

87.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$1.25 BAM 2.19

-30.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$33.99 BAM 59.5

59.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.46 BAM 2.55

-20.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.13 BAM 1.98

-53.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$8.39 BAM 14.70

-71.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.73 BAM 3.04

-16.18%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$29.6K BAM 51.8K

-28.85%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$21.9K BAM 38.4K

22.96%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$221 BAM 387

-71.88%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$14.49 BAM 25.38

-16.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$27.50 BAM 48.17

-26.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.77 BAM 73.2

-10.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.37 BAM 33.93

-80.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.06 BAM 12.37

-8.07%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$206 BAM 361

257.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$3,810 BAM 6,673

287.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$87.5 BAM 153

-39.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$37.82 BAM 66.3

-34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$92.2 BAM 162

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$99.2 BAM 174

-27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$434 BAM 761

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$320 BAM 561

-3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$965 BAM 1,691

4.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$606 BAM 1,062

4.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$3,150 BAM 5,518

-24.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$2,429 BAM 4,255

-34.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,042 BAM 1,825

-43.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.08

36.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sarajevo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sarajevo

$320 26.4% 3.7% $11

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sarajevo

$229 18.9% 2.1% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sarajevo

$143 11.8% 31.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sarajevo

$263 21.7% 179% $169

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sarajevo

$155 12.8% 99.8% $77

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sarajevo

$46 3.8% 24.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sarajevo

$56 4.6% 11.2% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $434 in Sarajevo. 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 77% higher in Sarajevo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in Sarajevo. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $229 in Sarajevo – so Sarajevo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

03:40 3:40 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

271,194 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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 = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sarajevo 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sarajevo

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 Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarajevo costs about 30% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,819 in Sarajevo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarajevo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $40 in Sarajevo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Sarajevo. 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 $1,212 in Sarajevo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,212 in Sarajevo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sarajevo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.