Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarajevo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,212 in Sarajevo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Sarajevo
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Sarajevo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,212

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,212 per month in Sarajevo vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,212
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,843 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarajevo $1,843
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,473 per month in Sarajevo vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarajevo $2,473
Chiang Mai $1,979

Sarajevo costs about 30% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sarajevo and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sarajevo 11% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 BAM 14.92

$2.24 ฿75.6

280.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.08 BAM 70.2

$19.00 ฿641

110.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 BAM 14.76

$5.55 ฿187

51.71%

Cappuccino

$2.26 BAM 3.95

$1.67 ฿56.5

35.33%

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

$2.17 BAM 3.80

$0.64 ฿21.54

239.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BAM 2.47

$0.31 ฿10.31

354.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 BAM 5.12

$2.36 ฿79.5

24.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 BAM 4.90

$3.66 ฿124

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 BAM 2.06

$1.95 ฿65.7

-39.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 BAM 2.11

$1.44 ฿48.46

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 BAM 3.72

$1.33 ฿45.03

59.40%

Eggs

$2.96 BAM 5.19

$2.28 ฿77.1

29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 BAM 18.15

$16.45 ฿555

-36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 BAM 13.01

$2.78 ฿93.9

167.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 BAM 25.65

$9.31 ฿314

57.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 BAM 2.60

$2.35 ฿79.4

-36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 BAM 2.83

$0.97 ฿32.79

65.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 BAM 2.60

$1.60 ฿53.9

-7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 BAM 3.61

$1.50 ฿50.6

37.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 BAM 1.73

$1.28 ฿43.11

-22.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 BAM 1.93

$1.10 ฿37.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$0.71 ฿23.82

59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 BAM 1.18

$0.49 ฿16.36

36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 BAM 6.74

$4.14 ฿140

-7.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 BAM 12.57

$17.52 ฿591

-59.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 BAM 1.62

$1.61 ฿54.5

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 BAM 2.59

$2.78 ฿93.9

-46.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 BAM 2.19

$0.87 ฿29.30

43.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.99 BAM 59.5

$54.1 ฿1,825

-37.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 BAM 2.55

$1.16 ฿39.04

25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 BAM 1.98

$0.53 ฿17.80

113.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 BAM 14.70

$2.42 ฿81.7

246.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 BAM 3.04

$1.45 ฿48.88

19.31%

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

$29.6K BAM 51.8K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

40.56%

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

$21.9K BAM 38.4K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-18.67%

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

$221 BAM 387

$62.2 ฿2,098

255.67%

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

$14.49 BAM 25.38

$12.17 ฿411

19.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 BAM 48.17

$20.12 ฿679

36.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 BAM 73.2

$37.31 ฿1,259

11.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.37 BAM 33.93

$3.77 ฿127

413.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.06 BAM 12.37

$6.49 ฿219

8.78%

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

$206 BAM 361

$736 ฿24.8K

-72.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,810 BAM 6,673

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-74.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 BAM 153

$53.4 ฿1,801

63.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.82 BAM 66.3

$24.64 ฿831

53.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 BAM 162

$91.5 ฿3,087

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 BAM 174

$71.9 ฿2,427

37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 BAM 761

$482 ฿16.3K

-9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 BAM 561

$309 ฿10.4K

3.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 BAM 1,691

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-4.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 BAM 1,062

$633 ฿21.4K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,150 BAM 5,518

$2,363 ฿79.7K

33.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,429 BAM 4,255

$1,589 ฿53.6K

52.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,042 BAM 1,825

$590 ฿19.9K

76.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Sarajevo: 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

Sarajevo

$320 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 3.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarajevo

$263 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.1% $169

Groceries & Markets

Sarajevo

$229 18.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 2.2% $5

Eating Out

Sarajevo

$155 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 50% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Sarajevo

$143 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 23.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sarajevo

$56 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 10% $5.6

Getting Around

Sarajevo

$46 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 33.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Sarajevo 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 77% higher in Sarajevo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Sarajevo versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Sarajevo vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Sarajevo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Sarajevo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

6 h ahead of Sarajevo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,194 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.571 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark (KM)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sarajevo Chiang Mai 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarajevo
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

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

Sarajevo costs about 30% 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 $1,819 per month in Sarajevo 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 Sarajevo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Sarajevo and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Sarajevo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,212 in Sarajevo 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 $1,212 in Sarajevo. 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, Sarajevo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.