Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gostivar and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $837 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Gostivar
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Gostivar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gostivar

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$837

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gostivar and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $837 per month in Gostivar vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gostivar $837
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,265 per month in Gostivar vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gostivar $1,265
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,693 per month in Gostivar vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gostivar $1,693
Chiang Mai $1,979

Gostivar is about 11% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gostivar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Gostivar 38% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 MKD 361

$2.24 ฿75.6

192.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.78 MKD 1,528

$19.00 ฿641

46.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 MKD 322

$5.55 ฿187

5.41%

Cappuccino

$1.38 MKD 76.0

$1.67 ฿56.5

-17.37%

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

$1.32 MKD 72.7

$0.64 ฿21.55

106.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.6

$0.31 ฿10.31

241.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 MKD 72.3

$2.36 ฿79.6

-44.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 MKD 102

$3.66 ฿124

-49.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 MKD 68.1

$1.95 ฿65.8

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MKD 38.81

$1.44 ฿48.48

-50.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 78.4

$1.33 ฿45.04

7.52%

Eggs

$2.37 MKD 130

$2.28 ฿77.1

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 MKD 346

$16.45 ฿555

-61.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 MKD 305

$2.78 ฿93.9

99.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 MKD 786

$9.31 ฿314

53.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.5

$2.35 ฿79.4

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MKD 77.4

$0.97 ฿32.80

45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 72.8

$1.60 ฿53.9

-17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MKD 102

$1.50 ฿50.6

24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.51

$1.28 ฿43.12

-35.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MKD 41.35

$1.10 ฿37.19

-31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MKD 34.49

$0.71 ฿23.82

-11.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MKD 29.49

$0.49 ฿16.37

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 MKD 154

$4.14 ฿140

-32.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.44 MKD 244

$17.52 ฿591

-74.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MKD 51.7

$1.61 ฿54.5

-41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 79.0

$2.78 ฿94.0

-48.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MKD 39.02

$0.87 ฿29.31

-18.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.74 MKD 1,416

$54.1 ฿1,826

-52.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MKD 41.47

$1.16 ฿39.06

-35.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 MKD 17.00

$0.53 ฿17.80

-41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 MKD 427

$2.42 ฿81.8

221.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MKD 78.2

$1.45 ฿48.90

-2.07%

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

$32.4K MKD 1.8M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

54.04%

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

$26.6K MKD 1.5M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-1.29%

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

$129 MKD 7,092

$62.2 ฿2,098

107.42%

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

$10.81 MKD 595

$12.17 ฿411

-11.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.72 MKD 1,029

$20.12 ฿679

-6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.69 MKD 1,193

$37.31 ฿1,259

-41.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 MKD 890

$3.77 ฿127

329.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 MKD 390

$6.49 ฿219

9.24%

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

$368 MKD 20.2K

$736 ฿24.8K

-50.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,800 MKD 319.0K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-60.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.82 MKD 2,025

$53.4 ฿1,801

-31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 MKD 2,039

$24.64 ฿831

50.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,550

$91.5 ฿3,087

10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 6,181

$71.9 ฿2,428

56.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 MKD 14.9K

$482 ฿16.3K

-43.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MKD 10.6K

$309 ฿10.4K

-37.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 MKD 27.3K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 MKD 16.3K

$633 ฿21.4K

-53.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,515 MKD 83.3K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-35.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MKD 64.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-26.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$880 MKD 48.4K

$590 ฿19.9K

49.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.57

-24.06%

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

Last update for Gostivar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gostivar

$193 23%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 60.4% $116

Groceries & Markets

Gostivar

$184 21.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 27.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gostivar

$158 18.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 40.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Gostivar

$129 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 15.9% $21

Eating Out

Gostivar

$106 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 27.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Gostivar

$36 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 40.2% $14

Getting Around

Gostivar

$31 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 98.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Gostivar versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 49% higher in Gostivar, 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 $28 in Gostivar versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $184 in Gostivar vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Gostivar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Gostivar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

6 h ahead of Gostivar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000

127,240

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

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).

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).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gostivar Chiang Mai 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Gostivar
Chiang Mai

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

Gostivar vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Gostivar, 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 $1,256 per month in Gostivar and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gostivar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $368 per month in Gostivar and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $837 in Gostivar and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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