Cost of Living Comparison Between Resen and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Resen and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $899 per month in Resen vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,368 per month in Resen vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,836 per month in Resen vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Resen costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Resen and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Resen 33% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.67 MKD 299

$1.94 ฿63.5

192.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 MKD 1,752

$18.64 ฿609

78.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MKD 342

$7.82 ฿255

-17.01%

Cappuccino

$2.22 MKD 117

$1.95 ฿63.8

13.85%

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

$2.00 MKD 105

$0.85 ฿27.77

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 68.1

$0.35 ฿11.58

268.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MKD 136

$2.13 ฿69.6

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MKD 142

$3.73 ฿122

-27.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 69.9

$1.71 ฿56.0

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 35.88

$1.63 ฿53.2

-58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MKD 89.1

$1.14 ฿37.15

48.25%

Eggs

$2.04 MKD 108

$1.93 ฿63.1

5.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 MKD 483

$16.21 ฿530

-43.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 MKD 378

$3.12 ฿102

130.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 MKD 719

$10.90 ฿356

25.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.3

$2.75 ฿90.0

-61.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 74.7

$1.21 ฿39.52

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 68.5

$1.62 ฿53.0

-19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MKD 83.0

$1.59 ฿51.8

-1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MKD 42.70

$1.40 ฿45.70

-42.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 49.47

$1.17 ฿38.17

-19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 MKD 28.57

$0.66 ฿21.60

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 30.30

$0.53 ฿17.22

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 MKD 154

$4.69 ฿153

-37.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 MKD 406

$18.66 ฿609

-58.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 53.1

$1.80 ฿58.8

-43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MKD 82.9

$3.23 ฿106

-51.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MKD 33.37

$0.90 ฿29.26

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.89 MKD 1,048

$19.21 ฿628

3.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 MKD 47.79

$1.41 ฿45.91

-35.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MKD 26.19

$1.29 ฿42.12

-61.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 MKD 348

$7.84 ฿256

-15.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.7

$1.27 ฿41.58

15.75%

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

$32.4K MKD 1.7M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

52.32%

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

$29.5K MKD 1.6M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

32.73%

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

$145 MKD 7,647

$69.1 ฿2,256

110.08%

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

$17.90 MKD 943

$14.08 ฿460

27.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 MKD 803

$18.00 ฿588

-15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.56 MKD 1,400

$41.06 ฿1,341

-35.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MKD 250

$5.92 ฿193

-19.93%

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

$218 MKD 11.5K

$299 ฿9,766

-27.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,216 MKD 64.1K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-91.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MKD 3,996

$54.7 ฿1,787

38.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 MKD 2,094

$26.77 ฿874

48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MKD 3,928

$85.0 ฿2,776

-12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 5,914

$70.6 ฿2,306

58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 MKD 15.1K

$428 ฿14.0K

-33.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.4K

$237 ฿7,752

-17.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 MKD 29.3K

$801 ฿26.2K

-30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MKD 16.5K

$515 ฿16.8K

-39.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,627 MKD 85.8K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-17.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,116 MKD 58.8K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-24.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

-9.20%

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

Last update for Resen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $286 in Resen versus $428 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 $33.00 in Resen versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Resen vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Resen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Resen costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Resen and $1,300 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $218 per month in Resen and $299 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 21% cheaper in Resen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $899 in Resen and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $899 in Resen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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