Cost of Living Comparison Between Carei and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Carei and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,049 per month in Carei vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,566 per month in Carei vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,083 per month in Carei vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Carei costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Carei and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Carei 21% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.33 RON 42.44

$2.04 ฿68.2

357.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.22 RON 210

$18.71 ฿624

147.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 RON 35.07

$7.86 ฿262

-1.91%

Cappuccino

$2.68 RON 12.18

$2.03 ฿67.7

32.02%

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

$2.01 RON 9.12

$0.80 ฿26.64

151.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 7.98

$0.35 ฿11.68

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 RON 10.52

$2.14 ฿71.5

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 RON 12.87

$3.67 ฿122

-22.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 RON 7.06

$1.73 ฿57.6

-10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 RON 5.40

$1.57 ฿52.4

-24.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.52

$1.20 ฿39.99

37.50%

Eggs

$3.34 RON 15.19

$1.97 ฿65.8

69.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.38 RON 38.12

$16.23 ฿541

-48.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 RON 29.87

$3.06 ฿102

114.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 RON 46.51

$10.80 ฿360

-5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.32

$2.77 ฿92.3

-57.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.25

$1.17 ฿38.94

35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.00

$1.71 ฿57.0

-9.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 RON 8.77

$1.59 ฿53.2

21.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.79

$1.39 ฿46.51

-40.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.17

$1.16 ฿38.56

-20.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 RON 4.19

$0.66 ฿22.05

39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 RON 3.80

$0.52 ฿17.31

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 27.12

$4.65 ฿155

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 RON 25.57

$17.78 ฿593

-68.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.71

$1.79 ฿59.6

-41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 RON 7.37

$3.34 ฿111

-51.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$0.91 ฿30.27

-20.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.56 RON 89.0

$18.64 ฿622

4.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 RON 3.31

$1.41 ฿47.04

-48.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.18

$1.34 ฿44.70

-47.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 RON 30.59

$8.11 ฿270

-17.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 RON 7.24

$1.23 ฿41.16

29.27%

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

$27.6K RON 125.4K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

28.68%

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

$27.5K RON 125.2K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

26.23%

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

$150 RON 681

$71.3 ฿2,379

110.12%

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

$8.04 RON 36.54

$14.01 ฿467

-42.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.14 RON 41.57

$17.93 ฿598

-49.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.19 RON 192

$40.82 ฿1,362

3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.40 RON 88.2

$6.88 ฿230

181.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 RON 30.50

$5.72 ฿191

17.31%

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

$434 RON 1,973

$308 ฿10.3K

40.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,895 RON 31.3K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-53.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 RON 302

$55.8 ฿1,860

19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 RON 178

$26.04 ฿869

49.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 RON 341

$84.8 ฿2,829

-11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 RON 421

$71.0 ฿2,368

30.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 RON 1,786

$423 ฿14.1K

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 RON 1,337

$242 ฿8,088

21.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 RON 2,716

$797 ฿26.6K

-25.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 RON 1,961

$507 ฿16.9K

-14.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,943 RON 8,836

$1,918 ฿64.0K

1.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,410 RON 6,410

$1,464 ฿48.8K

-3.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

31.20%

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

Last update for Carei: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $393 in Carei versus $423 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Carei versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $205 in Carei vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so Carei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Carei costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,574 per month in Carei and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Carei – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Carei and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,049 in Carei and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,049 in Carei. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Carei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.