Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ohrid and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $971 in Ohrid, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Ohrid despite lower rent and utilities.

47

Cost of Living Index in Ohrid
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Ohrid Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ohrid

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$971

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $971 per month in Ohrid vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ohrid $971
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,542 per month in Ohrid vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ohrid $1,542
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,114 per month in Ohrid vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ohrid $2,114
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ohrid costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ohrid and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ohrid 29% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 MKD 402

$2.24 ฿75.7

225.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.62 MKD 2,018

$19.00 ฿642

92.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 MKD 402

$5.55 ฿188

31.35%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MKD 147

$1.67 ฿56.6

59.88%

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

$2.95 MKD 162

$0.64 ฿21.56

360.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 MKD 102

$0.31 ฿10.32

496.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 MKD 197

$2.36 ฿79.6

51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MKD 249

$3.66 ฿124

23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 70.2

$1.95 ฿65.8

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 MKD 41.26

$1.44 ฿48.51

-47.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 MKD 90.9

$1.33 ฿45.07

24.06%

Eggs

$2.23 MKD 123

$2.28 ฿77.1

-2.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 MKD 441

$16.45 ฿556

-51.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 MKD 464

$2.78 ฿94.0

202.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 MKD 811

$9.31 ฿314

58.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 MKD 57.7

$2.35 ฿79.5

-55.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 72.4

$0.97 ฿32.82

35.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 MKD 86.3

$1.60 ฿53.9

-1.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 MKD 109

$1.50 ฿50.7

32.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 59.1

$1.28 ฿43.15

-16.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MKD 74.4

$1.10 ฿37.22

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MKD 56.8

$0.71 ฿23.84

45.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 MKD 42.80

$0.49 ฿16.38

59.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 MKD 185

$4.14 ฿140

-18.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 MKD 308

$17.52 ฿592

-68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MKD 58.2

$1.61 ฿54.5

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MKD 83.0

$2.78 ฿94.0

-45.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 MKD 60.7

$0.87 ฿29.33

26.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.88 MKD 1,316

$54.1 ฿1,827

-55.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 MKD 61.2

$1.16 ฿39.08

-4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 MKD 49.13

$0.53 ฿17.82

67.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 MKD 509

$2.42 ฿81.8

281.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MKD 82.7

$1.45 ฿48.93

3.45%

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

$29.9K MKD 1.7M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

42.19%

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

$30.5K MKD 1.7M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

13.19%

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

$130 MKD 7,153

$62.2 ฿2,100

108.73%

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

$18.33 MKD 1,010

$12.17 ฿411

50.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MKD 1,526

$20.12 ฿680

37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.42 MKD 1,842

$37.31 ฿1,260

-10.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.89 MKD 986

$3.77 ฿127

374.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MKD 346

$6.49 ฿219

-3.39%

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

$276 MKD 15.2K

$736 ฿24.9K

-62.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,321 MKD 183.0K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-77.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 MKD 5,395

$53.4 ฿1,802

83.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 MKD 2,923

$24.64 ฿832

115.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 MKD 5,504

$91.5 ฿3,089

9.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 MKD 7,184

$71.9 ฿2,429

81.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 MKD 15.5K

$482 ฿16.3K

-41.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 MKD 9,441

$309 ฿10.4K

-44.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 MKD 30.5K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-44.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 MKD 20.0K

$633 ฿21.4K

-42.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,088 MKD 115.1K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-11.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 MKD 71.6K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-18.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 MKD 34.4K

$590 ฿19.9K

5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.3

5.57

31.06%

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

Last update for Ohrid: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ohrid

$214 22.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 9.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ohrid

$176 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 46.3% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Ohrid

$171 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 36.6% $63

Accommodation & Living

Ohrid

$171 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 80.4% $138

Eating Out

Ohrid

$158 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 51% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Ohrid

$46 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 9.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Ohrid

$34 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 81.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Ohrid 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 6% higher in Ohrid. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Ohrid versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $214 in Ohrid vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ohrid wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Ohrid

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

05:13 5:13 AM

6 h ahead of Ohrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,940

127,240

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.81 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

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).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ohrid Chiang Mai 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ohrid
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

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

Ohrid costs about 4% 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 $1,456 per month in Ohrid 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 Ohrid, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $282 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Ohrid and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Ohrid – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $971 in Ohrid 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 $971 in Ohrid. 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.

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