Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bacau

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Bacau: $936 and $916 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bacau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $916 in Bacau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Bacau $916

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,552 in Bacau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bacau $1,552

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,189 in Bacau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bacau $2,189

Chiang Mai and Bacau have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Bacau are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bacau 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$14.19 RON 68.2

-84.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$84.6 RON 407

-77.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.24 RON 34.80

-23.34%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.04 RON 9.81

-18.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.01 RON 9.64

-68.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.87 RON 8.98

-83.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.47 RON 11.88

-4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.34 RON 16.03

9.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.18 RON 5.68

65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.70 RON 3.35

105.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.69 RON 8.12

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.47 RON 16.67

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.68 RON 36.91

114.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.33 RON 25.61

-47.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.30 RON 39.88

12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.10 RON 5.27

113.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.48 RON 7.12

-34.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.49 RON 7.14

7.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.83 RON 8.80

-18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.72 RON 3.48

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.68 RON 3.29

61.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.75 RON 3.58

-5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.72 RON 3.45

-31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.35 RON 25.71

-22.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$5.25 RON 25.24

233.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.02 RON 4.90

57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.17 RON 5.64

137.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.70 RON 3.35

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$29.15 RON 140

85.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.61 RON 2.94

90.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.65 RON 3.12

-18.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.72 RON 32.31

-63.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.78 RON 8.55

-18.54%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$28.9K RON 138.9K

-27.12%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$24.8K RON 119.4K

8.45%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$106 RON 509

-41.33%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.47 RON 35.90

62.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$4.63 RON 22.25

334.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$25.29 RON 122

47.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$15.98 RON 76.8

-76.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.09 RON 29.25

6.57%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$589 RON 2,830

25.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$4,986 RON 24.0K

196.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$85.0 RON 409

-37.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.98 RON 154

-22.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$60.3 RON 290

51.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$83.2 RON 400

-13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$416 RON 1,999

15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$236 RON 1,135

30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$549 RON 2,636

83.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$405 RON 1,945

56.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,805 RON 8,673

30.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,229 RON 5,905

29.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$936 RON 4,501

-37.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.97

-20.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bacau

$236 25.8% 23.5% $73

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bacau

$177 19.3% 24.7% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bacau

$117 12.8% 7.9% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bacau

$118 12.9% 25% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bacau

$194 21.2% 150% $117

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bacau

$36 3.9% 41.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bacau

$37 4.1% 25.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $416 in Bacau. 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 59% higher in Bacau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $85 in Bacau. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $177 in Bacau – so Bacau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

21:59 9:59 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

144,307

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bacau 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bacau

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 Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,373 in Bacau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $416 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $589 in Bacau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Bacau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.