Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Buzau

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $979 in Buzau, rent and utilities included – about $520 less a year. Rent and utilities 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 Buzau
Learn more

Buzau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Buzau

🇷🇴 Romania

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $979 in Buzau.

Chiang Mai $936
Buzau $979

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,447 in Buzau.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Buzau $1,447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,916 in Buzau.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Buzau $1,916

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 4% less than in Buzau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Buzau 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$10.50 RON 50.2

-78.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$24.73 RON 118

-23.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.34 RON 30.33

-12.46%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.95 RON 9.33

-14.36%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.92 RON 9.19

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.45 RON 6.93

-78.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.71 RON 8.19

38.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.70 RON 8.16

115.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.66 RON 7.96

17.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.28 RON 6.11

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.43 RON 6.85

-6.99%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.03 RON 14.51

-24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.26 RON 34.72

126.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.39 RON 30.57

-56.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.93 RON 52.3

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.96 RON 4.57

144.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.70 RON 8.12

-42.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.10 RON 5.24

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.21 RON 5.79

23.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.64 RON 3.06

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.78 RON 3.75

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.49 RON 2.36

44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.67 RON 3.20

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.29 RON 30.07

-34.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.34 RON 30.33

176.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.79 RON 3.79

103.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.45 RON 6.95

91.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.60 RON 2.88

45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$21.71 RON 104

149.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.53 RON 2.55

118.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.52 RON 2.51

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.19 RON 29.62

-60.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.65 RON 7.87

-12.12%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$18.9K RON 90.6K

11.17%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$21.1K RON 101.0K

27.68%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$121 RON 577

-48.47%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.70 RON 36.83

58.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$7.63 RON 36.51

163.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$32.68 RON 156

14.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.61 RON 84.3

-78.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.94 RON 33.20

-6.48%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$293 RON 1,402

151.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$6,804 RON 32.6K

117.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$55.3 RON 264

-3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$59.4 RON 284

-58.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$97.8 RON 468

-6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$82.8 RON 396

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$353 RON 1,687

36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$292 RON 1,396

5.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$605 RON 2,895

66.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$425 RON 2,035

48.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,478 RON 7,071

59.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,166 RON 5,577

36.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$854 RON 4,088

-30.98%

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 Buzau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Buzau

$292 29.8% 5.5% $17

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Buzau

$192 19.6% 18% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Buzau

$133 13.6% 22.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Buzau

$136 13.9% 44% $42

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Buzau

$152 15.5% 95.7% $74

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Buzau

$27 2.8% 55.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Buzau

$47 4.8% 7.4% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $353 in Buzau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $25 in Buzau. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $192, with Buzau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Buzau

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

115,494

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.186 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.83 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.36 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Buzau

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 Buzau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $979 in Buzau, so Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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 $353 in Buzau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Buzau pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $25 in Buzau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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