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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,102 in Braila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $1,688 in Braila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $2,274 in Braila.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 23% less than in Braila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Braila 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$13.88 RON 60.5

-85.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$46.66 RON 203

-59.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$8.25 RON 35.97

-4.00%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.68 RON 11.69

-28.73%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$1.93 RON 8.44

-56.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$1.76 RON 7.66

-80.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.26 RON 9.87

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$3.23 RON 14.09

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.57 RON 6.84

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.30 RON 5.67

24.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$1.85 RON 8.05

-36.22%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$3.50 RON 15.25

-42.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$8.41 RON 36.67

88.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$6.37 RON 27.77

-52.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$10.39 RON 45.32

3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.26 RON 5.48

107.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.70 RON 7.41

-28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.72 RON 7.50

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.84 RON 8.02

-14.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.85 RON 3.70

55.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.10 RON 4.80

6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.66 RON 2.88

1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.80 RON 3.50

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$5.93 RON 25.84

-23.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$6.62 RON 28.86

174.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.08 RON 4.69

69.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.61 RON 7.04

100.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.61 RON 2.65

45.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$16.06 RON 70.0

20.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.89 RON 3.90

51.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.64 RON 2.81

110.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$7.70 RON 33.57

7.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.55 RON 6.78

-18.06%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$27.6K RON 120.5K

-23.47%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$27.7K RON 120.8K

-18.83%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$154 RON 670

-54.36%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$7.88 RON 34.37

74.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$9.25 RON 40.32

90.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$35.04 RON 153

18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$13.67 RON 59.6

-51.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$6.86 RON 29.91

-15.74%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$300 RON 1,309

1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$6,941 RON 30.3K

113.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$67.4 RON 294

-19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$55.0 RON 240

-52.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$72.0 RON 314

17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$114 RON 498

-39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$381 RON 1,662

11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$309 RON 1,347

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$570 RON 2,485

44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$460 RON 2,005

12.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$2,065 RON 9,004

-0.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$1,457 RON 6,351

4.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$912 RON 3,975

-30.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

-26.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Braila: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $381 in Braila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Braila pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $47.00 in Braila. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $210, with Braila cheaper for home cooking.

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 Braila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Braila. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Braila earns 44% less. 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $381 in Braila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 21% less than in Braila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Chiang Mai versus $300 in Braila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,102 in Braila, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Braila. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Braila are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Braila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.