Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $861 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $900 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
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Struga Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$861

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $861 in Struga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Struga $861

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,317 in Struga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Struga $1,317

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,772 in Struga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Struga $1,772

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Struga are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Struga 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$7.12 MKD 391

-68.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$29.20 MKD 1,606

-34.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.43 MKD 299

2.21%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.56 MKD 85.9

7.05%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.82 MKD 100

-64.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.20 MKD 65.8

-74.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.68 MKD 148

-11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.03 MKD 166

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.23 MKD 67.5

58.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.73 MKD 40.01

97.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.62 MKD 88.8

-17.90%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.96 MKD 108

16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.41 MKD 408

122.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.24 MKD 343

-55.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.68 MKD 697

-26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.47 MKD 81.1

59.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.35 MKD 74.4

-28.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.25 MKD 68.7

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.54 MKD 84.7

-2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.89 MKD 49.03

43.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.85 MKD 46.50

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.59 MKD 32.64

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.55 MKD 30.24

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.50 MKD 193

18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.65 MKD 256

276.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.06 MKD 58.5

51.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.42 MKD 78.0

95.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.88 MKD 48.66

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$55.3 MKD 3,044

-2.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.07 MKD 58.7

8.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.61 MKD 33.28

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.01 MKD 276

-51.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.43 MKD 78.6

1.40%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

-36.38%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$25.9K MKD 1.4M

3.96%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$100 MKD 5,507

-37.90%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.81 MKD 595

12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$18.92 MKD 1,040

6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$20.03 MKD 1,102

86.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$11.44 MKD 629

-67.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.46 MKD 410

-13.00%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$118 MKD 6,501

522.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$1,583 MKD 87.1K

832.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$85.7 MKD 4,713

-37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$31.08 MKD 1,709

-20.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$71.0 MKD 3,905

28.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$52.5 MKD 2,888

37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$278 MKD 15.3K

73.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$217 MKD 12.0K

42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$441 MKD 24.3K

128.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$356 MKD 19.6K

77.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,544 MKD 84.9K

53.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,364 MKD 75.0K

16.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$852 MKD 46.9K

-30.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.75

48.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Struga

$217 25.2% 29.7% $92

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Struga

$184 21.4% 21.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Struga

$108 12.6% 0.5% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Struga

$130 15.1% 37.5% $35

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Struga

$124 14.4% 59.2% $46

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Struga

$63 7.3% 2.6% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Struga

$35 4.1% 30.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $278 in Struga. 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 45% higher in Struga, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $29 in Struga. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $184 in Struga – so Struga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Struga

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

07:13 7:13 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

33,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Struga 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Struga

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Struga, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,292 in Struga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Struga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $29 in Struga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $861 in Struga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Struga – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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