Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Baia Mare and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Baia Mare versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,448 in Baia Mare versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,972 in Baia Mare versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Baia Mare costs roughly 1% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baia Mare 32% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.10 RON 60.0

$2.08 ฿69.3

529.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.03 RON 156

$19.61 ฿653

73.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 RON 40.83

$5.67 ฿189

57.14%

Cappuccino

$2.19 RON 10.03

$1.81 ฿60.1

20.99%

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

$1.90 RON 8.69

$0.77 ฿25.58

146.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 RON 6.61

$0.35 ฿11.49

311.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 RON 7.44

$2.21 ฿73.7

-26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.24

$3.79 ฿126

-41.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.28

$2.05 ฿68.2

-22.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 RON 6.70

$1.51 ฿50.4

-3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.20

$1.40 ฿46.57

12.14%

Eggs

$2.90 RON 13.29

$2.26 ฿75.2

28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 RON 29.87

$16.19 ฿539

-59.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 RON 32.87

$2.90 ฿96.4

147.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 RON 51.2

$9.42 ฿314

18.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.44

$2.68 ฿89.2

-55.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.41

$1.09 ฿36.28

48.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.59

$1.62 ฿53.8

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 RON 12.84

$1.46 ฿48.61

91.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 RON 4.76

$1.28 ฿42.54

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 RON 5.33

$1.06 ฿35.21

9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 RON 5.14

$0.72 ฿23.88

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.70

$0.53 ฿17.51

52.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 RON 30.90

$4.23 ฿141

59.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 RON 22.41

$18.29 ฿609

-73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 RON 4.98

$1.63 ฿54.3

-33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 RON 7.62

$2.90 ฿96.6

-42.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 RON 3.10

$0.88 ฿29.24

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.55 RON 71.3

$53.8 ฿1,790

-71.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 RON 3.60

$1.17 ฿39.04

-32.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 3.93

$0.58 ฿19.25

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 RON 28.02

$2.39 ฿79.4

156.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 7.91

$1.45 ฿48.28

19.31%

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

$29.8K RON 136.6K

$21.0K ฿699.5K

41.89%

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

$25.5K RON 117.0K

$26.4K ฿879.7K

-3.33%

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

$111 RON 509

$63.7 ฿2,119

74.64%

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

$16.04 RON 73.5

$12.89 ฿429

24.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.25 RON 56.1

$20.52 ฿683

-40.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.14 RON 184

$39.02 ฿1,299

2.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.00 RON 77.9

$3.92 ฿130

333.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.26 RON 47.02

$6.58 ฿219

55.93%

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

$557 RON 2,553

$784 ฿26.1K

-28.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,636 RON 25.8K

$14.7K ฿488.4K

-61.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.53 RON 177

$55.1 ฿1,835

-30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 RON 200

$24.74 ฿824

76.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 RON 296

$94.1 ฿3,133

-31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 RON 356

$74.0 ฿2,462

4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 RON 1,298

$490 ฿16.3K

-42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 RON 990

$288 ฿9,594

-25.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 RON 2,325

$891 ฿29.7K

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 RON 1,766

$521 ฿17.3K

-26.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,083 RON 9,540

$1,974 ฿65.7K

5.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,494 RON 6,842

$1,444 ฿48.1K

3.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 RON 4,162

$602 ฿20.0K

51.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.48

5.57

34.29%

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

Last update for Baia Mare: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Baia Mare and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Baia Mare vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $211 vs $241, with Baia Mare cheaper for home cooking.

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

Baia Mare vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baia Mare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Baia Mare, 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: $283 in Baia Mare versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Baia Mare versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $924 in Baia Mare versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baia Mare but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Baia Mare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baia Mare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Baia Mare 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 Baia Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.