Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,112 in Skopje, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Skopje $2,202

Chiang Mai is about 16% cheaper than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$9.68 MKD 533

-76.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$34.35 MKD 1,890

-44.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.52 MKD 359

-14.88%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.14 MKD 118

-21.96%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.81 MKD 99.6

-64.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.38 MKD 76.0

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.68 MKD 148

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.03 MKD 167

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.28 MKD 70.3

52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.74 MKD 40.80

94.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.85 MKD 102

-28.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.50 MKD 138

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$8.11 MKD 446

102.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$7.36 MKD 405

-62.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.00 MKD 825

-37.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.43 MKD 78.6

64.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.41 MKD 77.3

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.31 MKD 72.3

22.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.86 MKD 103

-19.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.88 MKD 48.34

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.78 MKD 42.76

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.63 MKD 34.67

12.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.59 MKD 32.36

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.36 MKD 185

23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$7.48 MKD 411

134.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.06 MKD 58.4

51.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.50 MKD 82.3

85.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.71 MKD 38.85

22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$25.73 MKD 1,416

110.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.08 MKD 59.2

7.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.57 MKD 31.63

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$7.50 MKD 413

-67.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.59 MKD 87.5

-8.81%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-38.60%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

3.38%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$158 MKD 8,713

-60.74%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$18.80 MKD 1,034

-35.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$19.20 MKD 1,056

4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$37.03 MKD 2,037

0.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.35 MKD 955

-78.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.44 MKD 409

-12.77%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$369 MKD 20.3K

99.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$5,668 MKD 311.9K

160.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$85.6 MKD 4,709

-37.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$36.99 MKD 2,035

-33.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$101 MKD 5,584

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$112 MKD 6,178

-35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$394 MKD 21.7K

22.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$314 MKD 17.3K

-1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$715 MKD 39.3K

40.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$483 MKD 26.6K

31.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

-13.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,844 MKD 101.5K

-13.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$876 MKD 48.2K

-32.65%

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 Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 1.5% $4.7

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Skopje

$211 19% 10% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 39.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 108% $102

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 99.8% $77

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 47% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 3.2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $394 in Skopje. 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 48% higher in Skopje. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Skopje. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Skopje – so Skopje wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

03:27 3:27 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.02 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.25 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Skopje

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 Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skopje costs about 19% 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 $1,667 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $369 in Skopje. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Skopje – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,112 in Skopje. 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 $1,112 in Skopje. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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