Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Calarasi, Moldova

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $357 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$357

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $357 in Calarasi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Calarasi $357

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $582 in Calarasi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Calarasi $582

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $807 in Calarasi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Calarasi $807

Chiang Mai costs about 162% more than Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Calarasi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Calarasi 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$11.02 MDL 197

-79.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$21.96 MDL 393

-13.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.13 MDL 128

-22.16%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.42 MDL 25.40

17.61%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.74 MDL 13.28

-13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.43 MDL 7.72

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.12 MDL 20.08

110.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.42 MDL 25.30

157.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.02 MDL 18.31

91.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.34 MDL 6.15

323.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.97 MDL 35.14

15.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.92 MDL 34.34

-49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.62 MDL 11.11

106.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.52 MDL 9.24

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.09 MDL 19.48

6.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.71 MDL 30.61

-15.20%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$20.2K MDL 360.3K

33.70%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$58.1 MDL 1,038

7.10%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.65 MDL 119

83.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$9.98 MDL 178

101.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.35 MDL 60.0

93.73%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$33.53 MDL 599

59.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$33.34 MDL 596

-26.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$107 MDL 1,911

-14.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$33.80 MDL 604

112.84%

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 ฿34.0K

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 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Calarasi

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Calarasi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Calarasi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Calarasi

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Calarasi

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Calarasi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Calarasi

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Calarasi. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $41 in Calarasi – so Calarasi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

21:04 9:04 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

16,100

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MDL = 5.59 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Calarasi 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Calarasi

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $535 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 470% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $22 in Calarasi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $357 in Calarasi to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.