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: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,186 in Braila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,824 in Braila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,462 in Braila.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 21% less than in Braila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Braila 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$20.17 RON 92.5

-89.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$41.69 RON 191

-52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$9.15 RON 41.98

-38.03%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.74 RON 12.59

-33.94%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$2.18 RON 9.99

-64.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$1.77 RON 8.14

-80.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.80 RON 8.26

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.24 RON 10.29

69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.88 RON 8.62

9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.48 RON 6.77

2.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$1.56 RON 7.14

-10.26%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.55 RON 16.30

-36.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$9.06 RON 41.58

78.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$7.72 RON 35.40

-62.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$9.99 RON 45.83

-5.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.00 RON 4.60

168.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.54 RON 7.05

-29.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$1.38 RON 6.35

17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$1.24 RON 5.71

17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.90 RON 4.13

42.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.78 RON 3.57

35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.78 RON 3.59

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.89 RON 4.09

-40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$6.57 RON 30.16

-35.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$6.48 RON 29.73

182.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.03 RON 4.74

58.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.64 RON 7.53

76.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.69 RON 3.16

27.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$16.54 RON 75.9

225.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.08 RON 4.94

8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.81 RON 3.73

-28.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$7.18 RON 32.96

-66.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.59 RON 7.28

-8.81%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$27.6K RON 126.8K

-24.00%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$31.0K RON 142.5K

-14.89%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$146 RON 672

-56.52%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$8.83 RON 40.52

45.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$13.29 RON 61.0

54.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$34.32 RON 157

13.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$15.21 RON 69.8

-74.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$7.87 RON 36.11

-16.39%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$384 RON 1,760

104.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$8,733 RON 40.1K

68.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$102 RON 470

-46.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$62.3 RON 286

-60.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$98.0 RON 450

-4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$130 RON 598

-43.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$409 RON 1,877

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$321 RON 1,473

-10.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$578 RON 2,651

54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$474 RON 2,177

9.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,944 RON 8,921

1.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$1,387 RON 6,362

4.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$865 RON 3,969

-30.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.3

-32.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Braila: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $409 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $42.00 in Braila. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $215, 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 27% 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, salaries run 44% lower in Braila. 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $409 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 225% less than in Braila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $384 in Braila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,186 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 $932 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 27% less than in Braila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.