Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cahul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cahul: $627 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Cahul
Learn more

Cahul Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Cahul

🇲🇩 Moldova

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $627 in Cahul.

Chiang Mai $936
Cahul $627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $917 in Cahul.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Cahul $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,207 in Cahul.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Cahul $1,207

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 49% more expensive than in Cahul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Cahul 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$8.19 MDL 146

-72.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$23.41 MDL 417

-18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.36 MDL 185

-46.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.69 MDL 30.11

-1.18%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.11 MDL 19.82

-42.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.53 MDL 9.53

-41.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.01 MDL 35.81

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.76 MDL 31.45

107.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.20 MDL 21.36

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.49 MDL 8.72

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.60 MDL 28.45

-16.88%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.24 MDL 39.89

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.51 MDL 116

152.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.54 MDL 80.9

-38.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.17 MDL 110

50.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.98 MDL 17.39

139.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.19 MDL 39.09

-55.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.81 MDL 32.25

-11.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.37 MDL 42.33

-36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.76 MDL 13.54

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.52 MDL 9.22

111.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.43 MDL 7.74

65.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.53 MDL 9.50

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.39 MDL 60.5

22.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.38 MDL 78.1

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.41 MDL 25.19

14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.97 MDL 35.06

41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.27 MDL 4.81

222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$2.87 MDL 51.1

-59.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.24 MDL 4.27

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.44 MDL 97.0

-55.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.56 MDL 27.74

-7.05%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$33.3K MDL 593.4K

-36.73%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$24.4K MDL 435.5K

10.30%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$221 MDL 3,948

-71.92%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.65 MDL 136

59.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$11.03 MDL 197

82.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.62 MDL 136

-14.83%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$110 MDL 1,964

568.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$5,249 MDL 93.6K

181.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$45.08 MDL 804

18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$56.4 MDL 1,005

62.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$51.0 MDL 909

41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$507 MDL 9,048

16.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cahul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Cahul

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Cahul

$161 25.7% 31.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Cahul

$69 * 10.9% 36.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Cahul

$240 38.3% 154% $146

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Cahul

$137 21.8% 76.6% $59

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cahul

$5.1 * 0.8% 91.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cahul

$15 * 2.4% 69.7% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Chiang Mai pays 16% 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 in Chiang Mai vs $23 in Cahul. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $161, with Cahul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇩 Cahul

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

07:43 7:43 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.91 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cahul 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cahul

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 Cahul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cahul wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cahul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $627 in Cahul – Cahul is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $627 in Cahul versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Cahul but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Cahul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Cahul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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