Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stip and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $809 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$809

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $809 per month in Stip vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stip $809
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Stip vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stip $1,210
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,611 per month in Stip vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Stip $1,611
Chiang Mai $1,979

Stip is about 14% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Stip and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Stip 41% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 MKD 410

$2.24 ฿75.6

232.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.08 MKD 1,270

$19.00 ฿641

21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MKD 346

$5.55 ฿187

13.51%

Cappuccino

$1.81 MKD 99.3

$1.67 ฿56.5

8.38%

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

$1.43 MKD 78.6

$0.64 ฿21.54

123.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.8

$0.31 ฿10.31

245.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MKD 101

$2.36 ฿79.5

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MKD 151

$3.66 ฿124

-24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 70.1

$1.95 ฿65.7

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.86

$1.44 ฿48.46

-48.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 MKD 61.0

$1.33 ฿45.03

-16.54%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 139

$2.28 ฿77.1

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 MKD 438

$16.45 ฿555

-51.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 MKD 399

$2.78 ฿93.9

161.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MKD 397

$9.31 ฿314

-22.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.29

$2.35 ฿79.4

-61.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.6

$0.97 ฿32.79

49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 72.7

$1.60 ฿53.9

-17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MKD 87.8

$1.50 ฿50.6

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.66

$1.28 ฿43.11

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.95

$1.10 ฿37.18

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 MKD 30.97

$0.71 ฿23.82

-21.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MKD 23.10

$0.49 ฿16.36

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 MKD 179

$4.14 ฿140

-21.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 MKD 408

$17.52 ฿591

-57.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MKD 56.8

$1.61 ฿54.5

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MKD 81.8

$2.78 ฿93.9

-46.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MKD 36.86

$0.87 ฿29.30

-22.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.98 MKD 1,319

$54.1 ฿1,825

-55.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.3

$1.16 ฿39.04

-6.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MKD 31.73

$0.53 ฿17.80

9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 MKD 304

$2.42 ฿81.7

128.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MKD 84.2

$1.45 ฿48.88

5.52%

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

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

57.33%

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

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-3.60%

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

$158 MKD 8,677

$62.2 ฿2,098

153.77%

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

$8.95 MKD 492

$12.17 ฿411

-26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.29 MKD 896

$20.12 ฿679

-19.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.01 MKD 1,485

$37.31 ฿1,259

-27.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 955

$3.77 ฿127

360.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 MKD 358

$6.49 ฿219

0.15%

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

$357 MKD 19.6K

$736 ฿24.8K

-51.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,645 MKD 310.5K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-61.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.74 MKD 1,966

$53.4 ฿1,801

-33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.66 MKD 1,686

$24.64 ฿831

24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,554

$91.5 ฿3,087

10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,200

$71.9 ฿2,427

56.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-58.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 MKD 6,986

$309 ฿10.4K

-58.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 MKD 18.2K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-67.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.0K

$633 ฿21.4K

-68.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,210 MKD 66.5K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-48.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MKD 53.7K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-38.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$463 MKD 25.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

-21.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

5.57

-24.06%

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

Last update for Stip: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stip

$183 22.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 48.4% $89

Groceries & Markets

Stip

$177 21.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 32% $57

Accommodation & Living

Stip

$127 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 143% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Stip

$126 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 13.8% $17

Eating Out

Stip

$125 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 37.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Stip

$40 5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 25.7% $10

Getting Around

Stip

$31 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 100% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Stip 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 27% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Stip versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Stip vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Stip wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Stip

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

05:15 5:15 AM

6 h ahead of Stip

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,000

127,240

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

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

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stip Chiang Mai 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Stip
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Stip, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,214 per month in Stip 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 Stip, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $357 per month in Stip 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 32% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Stip – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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