Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,615 in Makarska, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,615

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makarska 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 Makarska and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,615 per month in Makarska vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Makarska $1,615
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,504 per month in Makarska vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Makarska $2,504
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,393 per month in Makarska vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Makarska $3,393
Chiang Mai $1,979

Makarska costs about 73% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Makarska sits 19% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 €15.53

$2.24 ฿75.7

671.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 €71.2

$19.00 ฿642

317.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.20

$5.55 ฿188

44.32%

Cappuccino

$3.16 €2.84

$1.67 ฿56.6

89.22%

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

$3.92 €3.52

$0.64 ฿21.56

512.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.66

$0.31 ฿10.32

854.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.98

$2.36 ฿79.6

134.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 €4.34

$3.66 ฿124

31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.95 ฿65.8

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.49

$1.44 ฿48.51

15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 €2.84

$1.33 ฿45.07

137.59%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.53

$2.28 ฿77.1

121.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 €13.80

$16.45 ฿556

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 €8.62

$2.78 ฿94.0

245.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 €10.66

$9.31 ฿314

27.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$2.35 ฿79.5

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$0.97 ฿32.82

58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.60 ฿53.9

28.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$1.50 ฿50.7

83.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 €2.04

$1.28 ฿43.15

78.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$1.10 ฿37.22

90.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.43

$0.71 ฿23.84

123.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.45

$0.49 ฿16.38

230.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €5.08

$4.14 ฿140

36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 €6.94

$17.52 ฿592

-55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.61 ฿54.5

-12.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.78 ฿94.0

-48.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.55

$0.87 ฿29.33

98.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.80 €43.84

$54.1 ฿1,827

-9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.66

$1.16 ฿39.08

155.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.53 ฿17.82

177.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.55 €12.17

$2.42 ฿81.8

459.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.45 ฿48.93

18.62%

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

$26.0K €23.4K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

23.50%

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

$25.4K €22.8K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-5.84%

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

$182 €163

$62.2 ฿2,100

192.71%

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

$27.27 €24.50

$12.17 ฿411

124.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 €38.58

$20.12 ฿680

113.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 €52.7

$37.31 ฿1,260

57.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 €13.45

$3.77 ฿127

297.08%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 €9.57

$6.49 ฿219

64.10%

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

$426 €383

$736 ฿24.9K

-42.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,821 €6,127

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-53.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 €81.0

$53.4 ฿1,802

68.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.62 €40.08

$24.64 ฿832

81.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €93.5

$91.5 ฿3,089

13.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 €69.9

$71.9 ฿2,429

8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 €604

$482 ฿16.3K

39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 €463

$309 ฿10.4K

66.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,046

$1,006 ฿34.0K

15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €786

$633 ฿21.4K

38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,347 €3,905

$2,363 ฿79.8K

83.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 €2,594

$1,589 ฿53.7K

81.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

5.57

-33.21%

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

Last update for Makarska: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makarska

$516 31.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 40.1% $207

Groceries & Markets

Makarska

$294 18.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 20.2% $59

Eating Out

Makarska

$265 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 70.7% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makarska

$252 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 62.5% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Makarska

$142 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 23.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Makarska

$80 5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 37.1% $30

Getting Around

Makarska

$66 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 7.1% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $673 in Makarska 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Makarska versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Makarska

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

6 h ahead of Makarska

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,809

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Makarska Chiang Mai 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Makarska
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

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

Makarska costs about 73% 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 $2,423 per month in Makarska 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $673 in Makarska.

Kindergarten costs $426 per month in Makarska 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 25% more in Makarska, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,615 in Makarska and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,615 in Makarska. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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