Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $859 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Alexandria versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandria $859
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,320 in Alexandria versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandria $1,320
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Alexandria versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Alexandria $1,781
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Alexandria costs roughly 8% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandria 36% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 RON 39.26

$2.26 ฿75.4

267.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.10 RON 142

$19.18 ฿641

56.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 RON 34.24

$5.59 ฿187

29.52%

Cappuccino

$1.62 RON 7.68

$1.72 ฿57.6

-5.81%

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

$1.76 RON 8.34

$0.64 ฿21.54

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 RON 7.03

$0.33 ฿11.18

351.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 RON 9.99

$2.36 ฿78.7

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 RON 11.66

$3.90 ฿130

-36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 RON 6.56

$2.05 ฿68.6

-32.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$1.40 ฿46.70

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.21

$1.28 ฿42.89

-14.06%

Eggs

$2.16 RON 10.23

$2.25 ฿75.3

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 RON 23.57

$16.94 ฿566

-70.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 RON 20.35

$2.74 ฿91.6

56.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 RON 36.31

$9.36 ฿313

-18.06%

Apples (1kg)

$0.88 RON 4.16

$2.40 ฿80.3

-63.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.57

$1.01 ฿33.92

16.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.61

$1.61 ฿53.9

-39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 RON 4.62

$1.52 ฿50.7

-35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 RON 3.33

$1.28 ฿42.90

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 RON 2.87

$1.11 ฿37.22

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 RON 3.40

$0.72 ฿24.09

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 4.06

$0.52 ฿17.54

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 RON 25.69

$4.33 ฿145

25.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 RON 24.38

$17.73 ฿593

-70.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.34

$1.63 ฿54.4

-43.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 5.10

$2.85 ฿95.3

-62.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$0.85 ฿28.31

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 RON 200

$53.9 ฿1,801

-21.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 RON 2.07

$1.17 ฿39.18

-62.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 RON 1.91

$0.57 ฿19.00

-29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 RON 25.97

$2.37 ฿79.2

131.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$1.45 ฿48.32

18.62%

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

$16.1K RON 76.2K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-21.35%

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

$23.1K RON 109.4K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-12.80%

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

$115 RON 545

$62.3 ฿2,083

84.82%

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

$5.18 RON 24.53

$12.27 ฿410

-57.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.60 RON 35.96

$19.97 ฿668

-61.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 RON 277

$37.91 ฿1,267

54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.59 RON 116

$3.76 ฿126

553.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 RON 30.10

$6.71 ฿224

-5.22%

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

$308 RON 1,459

$797 ฿26.6K

-61.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,663 RON 31.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-55.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 RON 245

$53.3 ฿1,780

-2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.37 RON 106

$25.05 ฿837

-10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 RON 299

$91.6 ฿3,062

-31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 RON 303

$73.5 ฿2,455

-12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 RON 1,511

$464 ฿15.5K

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 RON 1,127

$305 ฿10.2K

-21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 RON 2,731

$915 ฿30.6K

-36.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 RON 1,981

$552 ฿18.5K

-24.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,235 RON 5,842

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-35.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$778 RON 3,679

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-45.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 RON 3,995

$595 ฿19.9K

41.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.73

5.57

20.83%

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

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

$238 27.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 27.9% $66

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$148 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 60.6% $90

Eating Out

Alexandria

$136 15.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 41.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$128 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 26.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$91 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 20.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$71 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 28% $20

Getting Around

Alexandria

$47 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 30% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Alexandria and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Alexandria vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $238, with Alexandria cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

4 h ahead of Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,434

127,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 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 RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alexandria Chiang Mai 7,280 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria
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

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

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Alexandria, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $319 in Alexandria versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Alexandria versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 27% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Alexandria versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alexandria and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.