Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Arad

For one person, living is cheaper in Arad: $873 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Arad
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Arad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Arad

🇷🇴 Romania

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Arad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Arad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $873 in Arad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Arad $873

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,366 in Arad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Arad $1,366

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,858 in Arad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Arad $1,858

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Arad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Arad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Arad 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$8.16 RON 38.63

-72.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$32.35 RON 153

-40.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.15 RON 33.83

-21.82%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.63 RON 12.45

-34.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.48 RON 7.00

-56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.59 RON 7.53

-79.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.14 RON 10.15

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.48 RON 11.71

57.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.12 RON 5.32

83.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.22 RON 5.76

14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.72 RON 8.16

-25.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.57 RON 12.17

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.17 RON 33.94

136.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.87 RON 23.03

-43.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.13 RON 47.93

-7.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.60 RON 7.59

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.70 RON 8.05

-40.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.69 RON 8.02

-4.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.40 RON 6.60

8.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.76 RON 3.59

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.85 RON 4.04

30.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.18 RON 5.60

-38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.77 RON 3.63

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.95 RON 28.14

-27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$5.73 RON 27.10

209.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.22 RON 5.78

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.78 RON 8.40

60.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.87 RON 4.11

-2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$29.34 RON 139

83.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.79 RON 3.71

48.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.07 RON 5.06

-46.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$10.40 RON 49.22

-77.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.84 RON 8.72

-21.20%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$27.8K RON 131.8K

-26.48%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$24.9K RON 117.8K

6.45%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$125 RON 590

-50.00%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$8.19 RON 38.74

49.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$7.28 RON 34.42

174.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$34.12 RON 161

11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$30.83 RON 146

-87.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.27 RON 24.91

27.32%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$159 RON 752

401.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$3,847 RON 18.2K

285.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$42.29 RON 200

25.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$21.47 RON 102

16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$70.9 RON 335

29.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$72.6 RON 343

1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$332 RON 1,571

39.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$222 RON 1,052

37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$529 RON 2,505

72.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$412 RON 1,951

33.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,420 RON 6,719

34.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,062 RON 5,027

35.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$919 RON 4,349

-35.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.35

-24.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Arad

$222 25.5% 27% $82

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Arad

$188 21.5% 21% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Arad

$93 10.7% 14.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Arad

$140 16% 48.2% $46

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Arad

$146 16.8% 85.2% $67

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Arad

$39 4.5% 36.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Arad

$45 5.1% 13% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $332 in Arad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 54% higher in Arad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $32.00 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $188 in Arad – so Arad wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Arad

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

20:55 8:55 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

159,074

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Arad 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Arad

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Arad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,310 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $32.00 in Arad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $873 in Arad. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arad, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Arad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $873 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. 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 Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.