Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neum and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Neum and in Chiang Mai: $923 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Neum
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina
$923
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $923 per month in Neum vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Neum $923
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,388 per month in Neum vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Neum $1,388
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,852 per month in Neum vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Neum $1,852
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Neum and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Neum and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Neum 32% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.00 BAM 8.73
$2.24 ฿75.5
123.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.00 BAM 54.2
$19.00 ฿640
63.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.68 BAM 9.91
$5.55 ฿187
2.34%
Cappuccino
$1.81 BAM 3.16
$1.67 ฿56.4
8.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 BAM 3.39
$0.64 ฿21.51
203.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 BAM 2.18
$0.31 ฿10.29
303.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.60 BAM 4.54
$2.36 ฿79.5
10.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 BAM 3.85
$3.66 ฿123
-39.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 BAM 2.03
$1.95 ฿65.7
-40.51%
White Bread (500g)
$0.90 BAM 1.57
$1.44 ฿48.41
-37.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.08 BAM 3.64
$1.33 ฿44.97
56.39%
Eggs
$2.59 BAM 4.52
$2.28 ฿77.0
13.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.55 BAM 13.18
$16.45 ฿554
-54.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.08 BAM 12.37
$2.78 ฿93.8
154.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 BAM 18.68
$9.31 ฿314
14.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.10 BAM 1.92
$2.35 ฿79.3
-53.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 BAM 2.85
$0.97 ฿32.75
68.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.39 BAM 2.43
$1.60 ฿53.8
-13.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.16 BAM 2.02
$1.50 ฿50.6
-22.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.98 BAM 1.72
$1.28 ฿43.06
-23.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 BAM 1.73
$1.10 ฿37.14
-10.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 BAM 1.35
$0.71 ฿23.79
8.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 BAM 1.18
$0.49 ฿16.34
36.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 BAM 6.76
$4.14 ฿140
-6.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.11 BAM 7.19
$17.52 ฿590
-76.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 BAM 1.38
$1.61 ฿54.4
-50.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 BAM 1.56
$2.78 ฿93.8
-67.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 BAM 2.08
$0.87 ฿29.27
36.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 BAM 99.0
$54.1 ฿1,823
4.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.75 BAM 3.05
$1.16 ฿39.00
50.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 BAM 1.04
$0.53 ฿17.78
13.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.80 BAM 10.14
$2.42 ฿81.6
139.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 BAM 2.73
$1.45 ฿48.82
7.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K BAM 52.1K
$21.1K ฿709.7K
41.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K BAM 37.3K
$26.9K ฿907.9K
-20.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$135 BAM 236
$62.2 ฿2,095
117.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.71 BAM 30.93
$12.17 ฿410
45.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.81 BAM 45.08
$20.12 ฿678
28.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.44 BAM 58.4
$37.31 ฿1,257
-10.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.73 BAM 22.24
$3.77 ฿127
237.67%
Cinema Ticket
$6.93 BAM 12.11
$6.49 ฿219
6.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$195 BAM 340
$736 ฿24.8K
-73.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,298 BAM 4,013
$14.8K ฿497.6K
-84.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.5 BAM 100
$53.4 ฿1,799
7.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.40 BAM 56.6
$24.64 ฿830
31.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.7 BAM 151
$91.5 ฿3,083
-5.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.8 BAM 141
$71.9 ฿2,424
12.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$311 BAM 544
$482 ฿16.3K
-35.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$220 BAM 385
$309 ฿10.4K
-28.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$524 BAM 916
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-47.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$350 BAM 612
$633 ฿21.3K
-44.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,299 BAM 4,017
$2,363 ฿79.6K
-2.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,585 BAM 2,769
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-0.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Neum
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$872 BAM 1,523
$590 ฿19.9K
47.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
5.57
-47.94%

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

Last update for Neum: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Neum
$220
Chiang Mai
$309 40.2% $89
Groceries & Markets
Neum
$186
Chiang Mai
$234 25.9% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neum
$179
Chiang Mai
$94 47.1% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Neum
$116
Chiang Mai
$109 6.2% $7.2
Eating Out
Neum
$109
Chiang Mai
$78 28.8% $31
Getting Around
Neum
$66
Chiang Mai
$61 7.3% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Neum
$47
Chiang Mai
$50 6.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $311 in Neum 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 48% higher in Neum. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Neum versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $186 in Neum vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Neum wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇦 Neum
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
11:16 11:16 AM
17:16 5:16 PM
6 h ahead of Neum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,200
127,240
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BAM – Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark Converter

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.572 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Neum Chiang Mai 7,910 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Neum
  • 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
Neum vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Neum and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,385 per month in Neum and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Neum or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Neum, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $311 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Neum and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Neum and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Neum compared to Chiang Mai?
Public transport costs about 5% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Neum or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $923 in Neum and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Neum – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Neum compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Neum vs other spots: cost of living compared

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