Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zepce

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,080 in Zepce, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Zepce
Learn more

Zepce Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Zepce

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,080 in Zepce, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Zepce $1,080

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,658 in Zepce, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Zepce $1,658

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,235 in Zepce, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Zepce $2,235

Chiang Mai is about 14% cheaper than Zepce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Zepce are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zepce 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.2

$9.84 BAM 17.17

-76.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿663

$51.5 BAM 89.9

-61.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿189

$10.98 BAM 19.15

-48.91%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.79 BAM 3.12

-7.26%

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

$0.70 ฿23.62

$2.60 BAM 4.54

-73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.33

$1.62 BAM 2.82

-80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.2

$2.46 BAM 4.30

-2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿125

$3.39 BAM 5.91

9.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.9

$1.39 BAM 2.42

40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.48

$1.18 BAM 2.06

19.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.04

$1.60 BAM 2.79

-18.13%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.6

$2.81 BAM 4.90

-22.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿562

$9.73 BAM 16.97

71.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.1

$8.85 BAM 15.44

-68.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿307

$13.83 BAM 24.13

-34.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.7

$1.77 BAM 3.09

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.59

$1.95 BAM 3.41

-47.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$2.16 BAM 3.77

-24.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.24 BAM 3.90

-33.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.54

$0.99 BAM 1.72

30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.38

$1.41 BAM 2.46

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.31

$1.13 BAM 1.97

-36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.76

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿145

$3.80 BAM 6.63

13.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿605

$8.29 BAM 14.47

116.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$0.95 BAM 1.65

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.39 BAM 2.43

104.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.14

$1.38 BAM 2.40

-37.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,798

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.67

$1.68 BAM 2.93

-27.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.17

$1.18 BAM 2.06

-51.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$17.42 BAM 30.38

-86.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.42

$1.69 BAM 2.94

-14.79%

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

$20.7K ฿699.4K

$30.0K BAM 52.3K

-30.91%

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

$26.8K ฿904.2K

$21.4K BAM 37.4K

25.17%

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

$62.3 ฿2,103

$158 BAM 275

-60.46%

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

$12.11 ฿409

$16.18 BAM 28.23

-25.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿673

$36.75 BAM 64.1

-45.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,251

$32.50 BAM 56.7

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿127

$11.42 BAM 19.92

-66.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿219

$2.89 BAM 5.04

124.91%

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

$793 ฿26.7K

$288 BAM 502

175.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿499.6K

$3,555 BAM 6,202

316.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,813

$83.9 BAM 146

-35.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿831

$35.69 BAM 62.3

-31.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,065

$106 BAM 184

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,400

$145 BAM 253

-50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

$294 BAM 514

54.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.0K

$239 BAM 416

24.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.6K

$579 BAM 1,009

56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$356 BAM 622

55.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.1K

$2,734 BAM 4,770

-29.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.7K

$1,777 BAM 3,101

-18.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.44

25.45%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Zepce: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Zepce

$239 22.1% 19.9% $59

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Zepce

$244 22.6% 3.6% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Zepce

$167 15.4% 54% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Zepce

$211 19.5% 123% $116

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Zepce

$169 15.7% 115% $90

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zepce

$13 * 1.2% 78.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Zepce

$38 3.5% 23.5% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $294 in Zepce. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Zepce. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇦 Zepce

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

21:03 9:03 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

7,500

💱 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 = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 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 October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Zepce 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zepce

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 Zepce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zepce costs about 17% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,620 in Zepce. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zepce, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $455 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai and $52 in Zepce. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Zepce, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $925 in Chiang Mai and $1,080 in Zepce. 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 $925 in Chiang Mai to $1,080 in Zepce. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.