Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Stip

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $806 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $806 in Stip, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Stip $806

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,205 in Stip, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Stip $1,205

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,605 in Stip, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Stip $1,605

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Stip, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Stip are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Stip 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$7.33 MKD 400

-69.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$23.62 MKD 1,288

-18.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.30 MKD 344

-11.27%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.80 MKD 98.1

-4.44%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.48 MKD 80.6

-56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.07 MKD 58.2

-69.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.77 MKD 96.8

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.79 MKD 152

39.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.23 MKD 67.2

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.75 MKD 40.86

86.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.07 MKD 58.1

19.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.42 MKD 132

-7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.12 MKD 443

108.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$7.25 MKD 395

-62.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$7.46 MKD 407

25.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.87 MKD 47.22

175.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.44 MKD 78.7

-29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.32 MKD 72.0

21.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.66 MKD 90.8

-8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.87 MKD 47.63

47.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.78 MKD 42.51

42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.53 MKD 29.07

35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.40 MKD 21.66

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.26 MKD 178

32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.26 MKD 396

144.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.07 MKD 58.4

52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.42 MKD 77.4

100.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.63 MKD 34.29

34.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$23.20 MKD 1,266

132.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.12 MKD 60.9

4.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.62 MKD 33.63

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.60 MKD 306

-57.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.52 MKD 82.7

-4.61%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

-43.07%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

-4.97%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$157 MKD 8,562

-60.29%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$9.01 MKD 492

36.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$16.56 MKD 903

20.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$27.61 MKD 1,506

37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$17.17 MKD 937

-78.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.19 MKD 338

8.40%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$350 MKD 19.1K

127.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,765 MKD 314.5K

157.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$35.68 MKD 1,946

49.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$30.62 MKD 1,670

-18.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$101 MKD 5,487

-8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$114 MKD 6,196

-35.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$201 MKD 11.0K

131.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$126 MKD 6,876

141.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$327 MKD 17.9K

179.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$197 MKD 10.7K

180.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,214 MKD 66.2K

57.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$958 MKD 52.3K

50.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$462 MKD 25.2K

28.71%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Stip: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Stip

$126 15.7% 58.6% $179

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Stip

$177 22% 25.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Stip

$126 15.7% 15.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Stip

$183 22.7% 93% $88

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Stip

$124 15.4% 56.6% $45

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Stip

$30 3.7% 51.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Stip

$40 5% 22.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $201 in Stip. 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 29% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $24.00 in Stip. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $177 in Stip – so Stip wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Stip

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

65,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Stip 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Stip

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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Stip, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,208 in Stip. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stip, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $350 in Stip. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Stip 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. Stip costs $806 versus $938 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 Stip. 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.