Which place is cheaper, Podgorica or Chiang Mai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Chiang Mai or Podgorica?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Chiang Mai and Podgorica. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Chiang Mai or Podgorica?
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is both the cultural center of northern Thailand and a launching point for trips into the rural areas, small towns, and lush jungles of the country's northern regions. Known for great food, historic temples, arts and crafts, and a lively night market, Chiang Mai is a very popular destination for travelers. In some areas, tourists and ex-pats dominate, but it's quite easy to get away from the tourist scene and into the real culture of Thailand, as Chiang Mai (and the surrounding countryside) is quite large.
Podgorica
Podgorica is Montenegro's capital city, and also its largest. Dating back to the Ottoman Empire, World War II destroyed much of this history, but there are a few Turkish remnants worth visiting. Podgorica's central location often makes the city a good starting point for day trips to coastal cities or mountain resorts.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best G Adventures Tours to Thailand, The Best 3-Day Tours from Phuket, The Best Budget Tours to Montenegro, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Montenegro.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChiang Mai $45Podgorica $112
The average daily cost (per person) in Chiang Mai is $45, while the average daily cost in Podgorica is $112. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Chiang Mai and Podgorica in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChiang Mai $26Podgorica $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChiang Mai $52Podgorica $98
Compare Hotels in Chiang Mai and Podgorica
Looking for a hotel in Chiang Mai or Podgorica? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Chiang Mai Hotel Prices and Podgorica Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chiang Mai $3.61Podgorica $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Chiang Mai are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$1.09
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Moped Rental$4.89
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chiang Mai
Also for Chiang Mai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chiang Mai Airport Private Transfer to Hotel Or From Hotel To Airport : $5.44
- Chiang Mai Private Car :Airport To Hotel transfer (one way) : $7.50
- Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) Private Transfer: $8.00
- Private Airport Transfer in Chiang Mai to/from Chiangmai Town: $8.92
- Chiang Mai Airport Private Departure Transfers: $10
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX): $11
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Chiang Mai HTL-APT(CNX): $12
- Try find your better than us!Airport transfer service in Chiang Mai APT-HTL(CNX): $12
- Chiang Mai Airport (CNX): One-Way Private Transfer: $12
- Chiang Mai Airport Departure – Private Transfer from Hotel to Airport: $13
- Chiang Mai Shared Arrival or Departure Transfer: $14
- Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) Arrival Shared Transfer: $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Podgorica
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Podgorica:
- Private transfer from Podgorica Airport or city to Tirana Airport: $274
- Private Transfer from Podgorica Airport (TGD) to Lustica: $263
- Transfer from Podgorica to Sarajevo: $252
- Tivat to Podgorica one way transfer: $210
- Kotor to Podgorica one way transfer: $205
- Private Transfer from Podgorica Airport (TGD) to Herceg Novi: $156
- Private Transfer from Podgorica Airport (TGD) to Tivat Airport (TIV): $136
- Budva to Podgorica one way transfer: $118
- Private Transfer from Podgorica Airport (TGD) to Tivat downtown: $117
- Transfer from Podgorica Airport and city to Tivat : $109
- Private transfer from Airport Podgorica and city to Kotor: $109
- Transfer from Podgorica Airport to Budva (and viceversa): $108
Is it cheaper to fly into Chiang Mai or Podgorica?
Prices for flights to both Podgorica and Chiang Mai change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayChiang Mai $10Podgorica $43
Typical Food Prices in Chiang Mai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Chiang Mai:
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Sit Down Dinner (for One)$5.30
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Roti Snack (Bread)$0.65
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Casual Breakfast$1.09
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.43
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Mangoes$0.82
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Coffee$1.36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cooking Evening Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market: $11
- Cooking Morning Class Chiang Mai Visit Organic Garden and Market : $11
- Traditional Khantoke Dinner and Show from Chiang Mai: $19
- Khantoke Dinner with Traditional Performance: $22
- Afternoon Cooking Class in Organic Garden in Chiang Mai: $22
- Evening Cooking Class in Organic Garden Chiang Mai: $22
- Half-Day Thai Cooking Class at Organic Farm in Chiang Mai: $22
- Cooking Class, Market and Thai Herbs Garden Tour: $25
- Authentic Easy Thai Recipes for Home-Style Cooking Half Day AM: $25
- Half Day Evening Cooking Class with Yummy Tasty Thai Cooking School: $25
- Half-Day Thai Cuisine Cooking Experience in Chiang Mai : $27
- Thai and Isaan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $27
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Chiang Mai $13Podgorica $22
Typical Entertainment Prices in Chiang Mai
For Chiang Mai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Thai Cooking Class$35
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Doi Suthep Entrance Ticket$1.63
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Kratong Lessons$2.72
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Pedicure$4.08
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Chiang Mai Museum (for Two)$4.89
Tours and Activities in Chiang Mai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Chiang Mai.
- Scavenger Hunt City Tour for Your Smartphone: $7.73
- Chiang Mai Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.84
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Art in Paradise Illusion Museum Entry Ticket: $11
- Mae Ping River Cruise: $12
- Old City and Temples Guided Walking Tour: $14
- Local Food and Markets Guided Walking Tour: $14
- Skip the Line: Chiang Mai Art in Paradise Admission Ticket: $14
- Tweechol Botanic Garden Half Day Adventure : $15
- Chiang Mai Michelin Food Walking Tour with Professional Tour Guide: $15
- Chiang Mai Old City & Temples Guided Walking Tour - 2 Hrs: $15
- Circuit Karting Experience at Chiang Mai Circuit - Go Kart: $16
Tours and Activities in Podgorica
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Podgorica are as follows:
- ATV Private Tour Montenegro – Žabljak Crnojevića: $335
- ATV Tour Montenegro - Žabljak Crnojevića: $196
- Bar and Ulcinj Private Tour - Oriental Montenegro Experience: $241
- Biogradska Gora - Biograd Lake & Moraca canyon - Skadar Lake tour: $157
- Bjelasica – Troglava – Zekova glava - Hiking Tour: $260
- Boat Cruise Viktor Skadar LakeVirpazar Kom MonasteryVirpazar: $14
- Book Your Tour Ostrog Monastery: $66
- Book Your Tour Podgorica by walk: $36
- Cheese farm tour in the katun: $281
- Durmitor - Black Lake & Tara River Canyon - North Montenegro tour: $226
- Durmitor National Park, Northern Fairy Tail -private tour from Podgorica: $180
- Durmitor mountain - Glacial lakes - Montenegro hiking tours: $208
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChiang Mai $6.73Podgorica $21
Typical Alcohol Prices in Chiang Mai
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Chiang Mai are as follows:
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Wine$2.72
Sample the Local Flavors in Chiang Mai
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Chiang Mai:
- Chiang Mai Pub Crawl: The Best Bars & Pubs in Chiang Mai!: $9.55
Sample the Local Flavors in Podgorica
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Podgorica:
- Private Wine Tasting Activity at Lipovac Winery: $27
- Book Your Wine Tour: $78
- Podgorica Car Trip - Architecture, History, Wine tasting, Churches, Doclea city: $98
- Wine tasting in the family winery, feel the spirit: $121
- Montenegro: Nature, Locals & Wine Tour: $129
- Full Day Private Podgorica Wine Tour Experience: $159
- Skadar lake boat ride through "Montenegrin Amazon", wine tasting & Niagara falls: $197
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chiang Mai and Podgorica, we can see that Podgorica is more expensive. And not only is Chiang Mai much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Chiang Mai is in Asia and Podgorica is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Chiang Mai would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Chiang Mai and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Podgorica would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Podgorica than you might in Chiang Mai.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Chiang Mai Expensive? and Is Podgorica Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Chiang Mai or Podgorica?
Chiang Mai has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Podgorica. When comparing the sizes of Chiang Mai and Podgorica, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Chiang Mai or Podgorica?
Podgorica has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Chiang Mai experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Podgorica in the Summer?
Both Podgorica and Chiang Mai during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Chiang Mai because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
Chiang Mai is a little warmer than Podgorica in the summer. The daily temperature in Chiang Mai averages around 30°C (86°F) in July, and Podgorica fluctuates around 26°C (80°F).
In Podgorica, it's very sunny this time of the year. In the summer, Chiang Mai often gets less sunshine than Podgorica. Chiang Mai gets 146 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Podgorica receives 341 hours of full sun.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai usually gets more rain in July than Podgorica. Chiang Mai gets 161 mm (6.3 in) of rain, while Podgorica receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year. June to September is the rainy season in Chiang Mai.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyChiang Mai 30°C (86°F)Podgorica 26°C (80°F)
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Podgorica in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Chiang Mai and Podgorica. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Chiang Mai year-round.
In the autumn, Chiang Mai is much warmer than Podgorica. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Chiang Mai in October average around 29°C (83°F), and Podgorica averages at about 17°C (63°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Podgorica this time of the year. In Chiang Mai, it's very sunny this time of the year. Chiang Mai usually receives more sunshine than Podgorica during autumn. Chiang Mai gets 226 hours of sunny skies, while Podgorica receives 203 hours of full sun in the autumn.
Podgorica receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Chiang Mai gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Chiang Mai usually receives less rain than Podgorica. Chiang Mai gets 122 mm (4.8 in) of rain, while Podgorica receives 166 mm (6.5 in) of rain each month for the autumn. November to February in Chiang Mai is the dry season.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberChiang Mai 29°C (83°F)Podgorica 17°C (63°F)
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Podgorica in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Chiang Mai as well as Podgorica. Chiang Mai attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
In January, Chiang Mai is generally much warmer than Podgorica. Daily temperatures in Chiang Mai average around 23°C (74°F), and Podgorica fluctuates around 6°C (42°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Chiang Mai this time of the year. In the winter, Chiang Mai often gets more sunshine than Podgorica. Chiang Mai gets 283 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Podgorica receives 121 hours of full sun.
It's quite rainy in Podgorica. Chiang Mai usually gets less rain in January than Podgorica. Chiang Mai gets 7 mm (0.3 in) of rain, while Podgorica receives 192 mm (7.6 in) of rain this time of the year. Also, November to February in Chiang Mai is the dry season.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryChiang Mai 23°C (74°F)Podgorica 6°C (42°F)
Should I visit Chiang Mai or Podgorica in the Spring?
Both Podgorica and Chiang Mai are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Chiang Mai throughout the year.
It's very hot in Chiang Mai this time of the year. Chiang Mai is much warmer than Podgorica in the spring. The daily temperature in Chiang Mai averages around 31°C (88°F) in April, and Podgorica fluctuates around 14°C (58°F).
The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai usually receives more sunshine than Podgorica during spring. Chiang Mai gets 275 hours of sunny skies, while Podgorica receives 194 hours of full sun in the spring.
It rains a lot this time of the year in Podgorica. In April, Chiang Mai usually receives less rain than Podgorica. Chiang Mai gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Podgorica receives 144 mm (5.7 in) of rain each month for the spring. The rainy season in Chiang Mai is June to September.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilChiang Mai 31°C (88°F)Podgorica 14°C (58°F)
Typical Weather for Podgorica and Chiang Mai
| Chiang Mai | Podgorica | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 23°C (74°F) | 7 mm (0.3 in) | 6°C (42°F) | 192 mm (7.6 in) |
| Feb | 26°C (78°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 167 mm (6.6 in) |
| Mar | 29°C (83°F) | 13 mm (0.5 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 159 mm (6.3 in) |
| Apr | 31°C (88°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 14°C (58°F) | 144 mm (5.7 in) |
| May | 31°C (87°F) | 158 mm (6.2 in) | 19°C (67°F) | 89 mm (3.5 in) |
| Jun | 30°C (86°F) | 132 mm (5.2 in) | 23°C (73°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| Jul | 30°C (86°F) | 161 mm (6.3 in) | 26°C (80°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Aug | 29°C (85°F) | 236 mm (9.3 in) | 26°C (79°F) | 66 mm (2.6 in) |
| Sep | 29°C (85°F) | 228 mm (9 in) | 22°C (72°F) | 121 mm (4.8 in) |
| Oct | 29°C (83°F) | 122 mm (4.8 in) | 17°C (63°F) | 166 mm (6.5 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (80°F) | 53 mm (2.1 in) | 11°C (53°F) | 239 mm (9.4 in) |
| Dec | 24°C (75°F) | 20 mm (0.8 in) | 7°C (45°F) | 217 mm (8.5 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.