Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bragadiru

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,106 in Bragadiru, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Bragadiru
Learn more

Bragadiru Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Bragadiru

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $1,106 in Bragadiru.

Chiang Mai $935
Bragadiru $1,106

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,728 in Bragadiru.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Bragadiru $1,728

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $2,351 in Bragadiru.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Bragadiru $2,351

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 15% less than in Bragadiru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bragadiru 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$13.82 RON 65.7

-84.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$60.0 RON 285

-68.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.15 RON 34.01

-21.68%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.30 RON 15.70

-49.70%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$1.84 RON 8.74

-64.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.34 RON 6.35

-77.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$2.26 RON 10.76

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.22 RON 15.28

13.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.64 RON 7.79

23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.22 RON 5.80

15.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.71 RON 8.11

-18.71%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$3.09 RON 14.69

-23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$8.43 RON 40.09

95.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$6.77 RON 32.18

-60.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.10 RON 43.25

-0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.25 RON 5.93

92.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.61 RON 7.64

-35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.57 RON 7.44

5.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.66 RON 12.64

-41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.96 RON 4.57

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.94 RON 4.46

15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.03 RON 4.88

-26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.99 RON 4.69

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.33 RON 30.08

-34.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$6.15 RON 29.25

191.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.02 RON 4.85

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.75 RON 8.34

61.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.76 RON 3.62

22.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$21.68 RON 103

143.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.65 RON 3.11

81.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.66 RON 3.13

-74.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$6.44 RON 30.59

-71.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.91 RON 9.09

-23.04%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$28.0K RON 133.2K

-25.00%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$25.8K RON 122.9K

2.59%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$165 RON 783

-62.04%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$7.54 RON 35.84

53.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$7.43 RON 35.33

173.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$36.06 RON 171

5.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$20.98 RON 99.7

-82.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$7.01 RON 33.32

-7.13%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$560 RON 2,661

29.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$8,366 RON 39.8K

98.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$92.4 RON 439

-42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$42.75 RON 203

-41.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$86.6 RON 412

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$87.5 RON 416

-17.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$389 RON 1,847

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$295 RON 1,403

5.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$617 RON 2,935

71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$467 RON 2,221

40.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$1,902 RON 9,041

27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,326 RON 6,302

21.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,077 RON 5,117

-44.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bragadiru: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Bragadiru

$295 26.7% 4.8% $15

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Bragadiru

$211 19.1% 10.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Bragadiru

$139 12.6% 28.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bragadiru

$180 16.3% 90.3% $85

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Bragadiru

$202 18.3% 164% $126

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Bragadiru

$29 2.6% 51.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Bragadiru

$50 4.5% 1.6% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $389 in Bragadiru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bragadiru pays 81% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $60 in Bragadiru. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $211, with Bragadiru cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Bragadiru

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bragadiru 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bragadiru

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 Bragadiru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $389 in Bragadiru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bragadiru runs roughly 59% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $560 in Bragadiru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Bragadiru 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, Bragadiru on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.