Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tetovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $997 in Tetovo, rent and utilities included – about $730 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Tetovo
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Tetovo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tetovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $997 in Tetovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tetovo $997

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,500 in Tetovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tetovo $1,500

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,004 in Tetovo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tetovo $2,004

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Tetovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tetovo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tetovo 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$7.37 MKD 406

-69.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$27.68 MKD 1,526

-31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.69 MKD 313

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.56 MKD 86.0

7.05%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.51 MKD 83.1

-57.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.92 MKD 50.5

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.13 MKD 118

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.14 MKD 118

71.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.27 MKD 70.0

53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.62 MKD 34.30

132.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.31 MKD 72.2

1.53%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.08 MKD 115

9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.41 MKD 408

122.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.10 MKD 281

-45.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.31 MKD 569

-9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.46 MKD 80.2

60.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.44 MKD 79.6

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.95 MKD 52.2

68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.88 MKD 104

-20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.84 MKD 46.17

52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.69 MKD 38.31

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.59 MKD 32.38

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.53 MKD 29.32

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.01 MKD 166

37.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$4.49 MKD 248

290.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.05 MKD 58.1

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.45 MKD 79.7

91.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.35 MKD 19.10

148.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$10.88 MKD 600

397.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.10 MKD 60.7

5.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.53 MKD 29.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.37 MKD 406

-67.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.49 MKD 82.0

-2.68%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$34.1K MKD 1.9M

-38.33%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

0.27%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$159 MKD 8,739

-60.79%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$17.95 MKD 989

-32.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$19.25 MKD 1,061

4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$69.9 MKD 3,851

-46.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$18.12 MKD 999

-79.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.41 MKD 298

19.96%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$222 MKD 12.2K

231.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,175 MKD 119.9K

578.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$64.5 MKD 3,556

-17.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$36.99 MKD 2,039

-33.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$104 MKD 5,722

-11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$111 MKD 6,108

-35.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$351 MKD 19.3K

37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$273 MKD 15.1K

13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$583 MKD 32.1K

72.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$483 MKD 26.6K

31.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,231 MKD 67.9K

91.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,104 MKD 60.9K

43.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$861 MKD 47.4K

-31.48%

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 Tetovo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tetovo

$273 27.4% 11.6% $36

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tetovo

$170 17.1% 27.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tetovo

$142 14.3% 30.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tetovo

$196 19.6% 107% $101

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tetovo

$119 12% 53.9% $42

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tetovo

$16 1.6% 73.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tetovo

$81 8.1% 60.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $351 in Tetovo. 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 46% higher in Tetovo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $28 in Tetovo. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $170 in Tetovo – so Tetovo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇰 Tetovo

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

22:52 10:52 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

53,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tetovo 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tetovo

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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tetovo costs about 7% 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 $1,496 in Tetovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tetovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $222 in Tetovo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Tetovo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $997 in Tetovo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $997 in Tetovo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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