Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calarasi, Moldova and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $357 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$357

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $357 per month in Calarasi vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Calarasi $357
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $582 per month in Calarasi vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Calarasi $582
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $807 per month in Calarasi vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Calarasi $807
Chiang Mai $1,979

Calarasi is about 62% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Calarasi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Calarasi 74% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MDL 197

$2.24 ฿75.7

391.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.96 MDL 392

$19.00 ฿642

15.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 MDL 127

$5.55 ฿188

28.47%

Cappuccino

$1.42 MDL 25.36

$1.67 ฿56.6

-14.97%

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

$0.74 MDL 13.26

$0.64 ฿21.56

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.71

$0.31 ฿10.32

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 MDL 20.05

$2.36 ฿79.6

-52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.26

$3.66 ฿124

-61.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 MDL 18.28

$1.95 ฿65.8

-47.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 MDL 6.14

$1.44 ฿48.51

-76.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

Eggs

$1.97 MDL 35.09

$2.28 ฿77.1

-13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MDL 34.28

$0.97 ฿32.82

97.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MDL 11.10

$1.28 ฿43.15

-51.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MDL 9.22

$0.49 ฿16.38

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 MDL 19.45

$1.16 ฿39.08

-6.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 MDL 30.56

$1.45 ฿48.93

17.93%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$20.2K MDL 359.7K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-25.21%

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

$58.1 MDL 1,036

$62.2 ฿2,100

-6.63%

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

$6.65 MDL 119

$12.17 ฿411

-45.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.98 MDL 178

$20.12 ฿680

-50.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 MDL 59.9

$6.49 ฿219

-48.38%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.53 MDL 598

$53.4 ฿1,802

-37.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.34 MDL 595

$24.64 ฿832

35.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 MDL 1,908

$91.5 ฿3,089

16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.80 MDL 603

$71.9 ฿2,429

-53.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Calarasi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Calarasi

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Calarasi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $41 in Calarasi vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Calarasi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

23:08 11:08 PM

5 h ahead of Calarasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,100

127,240

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.6 USD). 1 EUR = 19.87 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Calarasi Chiang Mai 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Calarasi
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

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

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $535 per month in Calarasi and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 470% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Calarasi and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $357 in Calarasi to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.