Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zenica and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zenica: $850 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Zenica
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Zenica Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zenica

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$850

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $850 per month in Zenica vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zenica $850
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,245 per month in Zenica vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zenica $1,245
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,639 per month in Zenica vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zenica $1,639
Chiang Mai $1,914

Zenica is about 9% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zenica and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zenica 37% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.98 BAM 12.14

$2.26 ฿75.4

208.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.26 BAM 31.76

$19.18 ฿641

-4.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 BAM 7.11

$5.59 ฿187

-26.83%

Cappuccino

$1.59 BAM 2.77

$1.72 ฿57.6

-7.56%

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

$1.69 BAM 2.95

$0.64 ฿21.54

164.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 BAM 2.15

$0.33 ฿11.18

272.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 BAM 3.46

$2.36 ฿78.7

-15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 BAM 3.50

$3.90 ฿130

-48.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 BAM 2.22

$2.05 ฿68.6

-38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 BAM 1.64

$1.40 ฿46.70

-32.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 BAM 3.00

$1.28 ฿42.89

35.16%

Eggs

$2.70 BAM 4.70

$2.25 ฿75.3

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 BAM 13.18

$16.94 ฿566

-55.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 BAM 12.29

$2.74 ฿91.6

158.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 BAM 21.82

$9.36 ฿313

34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 BAM 2.35

$2.40 ฿80.3

-43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 BAM 2.77

$1.01 ฿33.92

57.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 BAM 2.70

$1.61 ฿53.9

-3.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 3.06

$1.52 ฿50.7

15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BAM 1.76

$1.28 ฿42.90

-21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 BAM 2.13

$1.11 ฿37.22

9.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 BAM 1.01

$0.72 ฿24.09

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 BAM 1.22

$0.52 ฿17.54

34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 BAM 5.83

$4.33 ฿145

-22.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 BAM 9.71

$17.73 ฿593

-68.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 BAM 1.47

$1.63 ฿54.4

-47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 BAM 1.73

$2.85 ฿95.3

-65.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 BAM 1.56

$0.85 ฿28.31

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.58 BAM 54.9

$53.9 ฿1,801

-41.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 BAM 2.68

$1.17 ฿39.18

31.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BAM 1.51

$0.57 ฿19.00

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 BAM 15.18

$2.37 ฿79.2

268.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BAM 2.60

$1.45 ฿48.32

3.45%

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

$30.7K BAM 53.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

49.72%

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

$21.7K BAM 37.7K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-18.19%

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

$161 BAM 280

$62.3 ฿2,083

158.27%

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

$18.28 BAM 31.79

$12.27 ฿410

48.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.97 BAM 41.68

$19.97 ฿668

20.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.06 BAM 41.83

$37.91 ฿1,267

-36.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.24 BAM 24.76

$3.76 ฿126

278.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 BAM 7.83

$6.71 ฿224

-32.94%

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

$134 BAM 234

$797 ฿26.6K

-83.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,848 BAM 6,691

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-74.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 BAM 87.6

$53.3 ฿1,780

-5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 BAM 52.7

$25.05 ฿837

21.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 BAM 161

$91.6 ฿3,062

1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 BAM 151

$73.5 ฿2,455

18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 BAM 333

$464 ฿15.5K

-58.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 BAM 247

$305 ฿10.2K

-53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 BAM 465

$915 ฿30.6K

-70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 BAM 347

$552 ฿18.5K

-63.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 BAM 2,754

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-17.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,280 BAM 2,227

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-10.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 BAM 1,136

$595 ฿19.9K

9.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Zenica: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zenica

$203 23.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 53.5% $109

Groceries & Markets

Zenica

$201 23.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 18.7% $37

Accommodation & Living

Zenica

$142 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 114% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Zenica

$117 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 6.5% $7.6

Eating Out

Zenica

$113 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 30% $34

Getting Around

Zenica

$41 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 49.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Zenica

$33 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 55.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $191 in Zenica versus $464 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 10% higher in Zenica, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Zenica versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $238 – making Zenica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇦 Zenica

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

5 h ahead of Zenica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,533

127,240

💱 Currency

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BAM in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zenica Chiang Mai 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Zenica
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 10% more than Zenica, 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 $1,275 per month in Zenica and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zenica, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $134 per month in Zenica and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zenica, where all-in costs run around $850, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Zenica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zenica costs $850 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Zenica. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.