Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baia Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $963 in Baia Mare, rent and utilities included – about $340 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Baia Mare
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Baia Mare Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Baia Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Baia Mare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $963 in Baia Mare.

Chiang Mai $935
Baia Mare $963

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,466 in Baia Mare.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Baia Mare $1,466

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,969 in Baia Mare.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Baia Mare $1,969

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 3% less than in Baia Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Baia Mare 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.9

$12.39 RON 59.1

-82.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$32.82 RON 156

-43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$8.55 RON 40.74

-34.50%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.15 RON 10.27

-22.79%

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

$0.65 ฿21.80

$1.75 RON 8.33

-62.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.28

$1.40 RON 6.67

-78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.59 RON 7.56

45.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.12 RON 10.12

73.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.9

$1.39 RON 6.63

45.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.45

$1.41 RON 6.74

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.90

$1.87 RON 8.92

-25.67%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.8

$2.93 RON 13.95

-19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$6.45 RON 30.74

156.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.0

$7.07 RON 33.71

-62.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$10.49 RON 50.0

-14.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.8

$1.11 RON 5.31

116.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.09

$1.48 RON 7.08

-29.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.30 RON 6.17

27.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$2.66 RON 12.66

-41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.71

$0.96 RON 4.59

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.62

$1.18 RON 5.63

-7.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.67

$1.23 RON 5.88

-38.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.33

$0.75 RON 3.58

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$6.34 RON 30.23

-35.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿604

$4.96 RON 23.62

261.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.7

$0.99 RON 4.73

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.1

$1.64 RON 7.80

71.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

$0.70 RON 3.33

32.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

$14.73 RON 70.2

259.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

$1.08 RON 5.13

9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$1.13 RON 5.40

-84.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$11.11 RON 53.0

-83.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.63

$1.80 RON 8.57

-18.33%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

$28.6K RON 136.3K

-26.51%

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

$24.8K RON 118.0K

7.10%

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

$62.6 ฿2,108

$106 RON 505

-41.00%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$16.55 RON 78.9

-29.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿684

$11.09 RON 52.9

83.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,277

$41.01 RON 195

-7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$16.29 RON 77.7

-77.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$9.93 RON 47.36

-34.44%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$521 RON 2,484

39.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿558.5K

$5,345 RON 25.5K

210.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,804

$37.51 RON 179

42.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$41.17 RON 196

-39.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,046

$63.3 RON 302

42.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

$75.7 RON 361

-4.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$375 RON 1,786

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$268 RON 1,275

15.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$593 RON 2,826

78.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$454 RON 2,162

45.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$2,211 RON 10.5K

9.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

$1,520 RON 7,245

5.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$903 RON 4,303

-34.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.48

-25.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Baia Mare: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Baia Mare

$268 27.8% 13.7% $42

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Baia Mare

$204 21.1% 13.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Baia Mare

$98 10.2% 9.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Baia Mare

$134 13.9% 41.5% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Baia Mare

$175 18.2% 129% $99

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Baia Mare

$24 2.5% 58.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Baia Mare

$61 6.3% 19.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $368 in Baia Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baia Mare pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $33 in Baia Mare. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $199, with Baia Mare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Baia Mare

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

13:10 1:10 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

123,738

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Baia Mare 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baia Mare

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 Baia Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $368 in Baia Mare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $520 in Baia Mare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Baia Mare pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Baia Mare are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Baia Mare on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.