Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Calarasi

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Calarasi: $925 and $884 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
Learn more

Calarasi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$884

/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 $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $884 in Calarasi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Calarasi $884

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,371 in Calarasi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Calarasi $1,371

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,858 in Calarasi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Calarasi $1,858

Chiang Mai costs about 5% 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 32% lower, Calarasi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.99 RON 42.55

-74.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$34.27 RON 162

-42.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.82 RON 37.01

-28.26%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.09 RON 9.90

-20.57%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.85 RON 8.77

-62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.63 RON 7.73

-80.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.62 RON 7.65

48.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.49 RON 7.04

148.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.45 RON 6.88

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.96 RON 4.52

46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.49 RON 7.06

-12.08%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.75 RON 13.00

-20.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.59 RON 35.91

119.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.16 RON 19.69

-33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.62 RON 40.77

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.10 RON 5.19

117.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.39 RON 6.59

-25.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.27 RON 6.02

28.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.45 RON 6.87

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.43 RON 2.06

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.60 RON 2.85

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.40 RON 1.89

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 RON 3.65

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$6.27 RON 29.65

-31.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.19 RON 19.84

328.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.98 RON 4.64

61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.39 RON 6.58

104.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.44 RON 2.08

95.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$12.59 RON 59.6

323.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.60 RON 2.85

101.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.61 RON 2.87

-6.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$6.21 RON 29.37

-62.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.63 RON 7.74

-11.66%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.1K RON 132.8K

-26.13%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$25.1K RON 118.6K

6.92%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$164 RON 777

-62.04%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.23 RON 29.48

94.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.75 RON 31.92

195.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$47.96 RON 227

-22.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$53.2 RON 252

-92.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$8.23 RON 38.94

-21.02%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$399 RON 1,888

98.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,817 RON 27.5K

154.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$73.4 RON 347

-26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$21.12 RON 99.9

16.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$90.8 RON 430

0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$96.8 RON 458

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$310 RON 1,465

47.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$186 RON 880

60.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$414 RON 1,958

119.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$321 RON 1,517

72.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,187 RON 5,614

62.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$946 RON 4,474

52.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$714 RON 3,380

-17.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.85

-29.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Calarasi

$186 21% 37.6% $112

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Calarasi

$166 18.8% 29.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Calarasi

$127 14.4% 17.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Calarasi

$177 20% 87.7% $83

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Calarasi

$146 16.5% 85.2% $67

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Calarasi

$18 2% 70.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Calarasi

$64 7.3% 28.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $310 in Calarasi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Calarasi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $34.00 in Calarasi. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $166 in Calarasi – so Calarasi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

20:04 8:04 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

65,181

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Calarasi 7,120 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

Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai, $884 in Calarasi – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,326 in Calarasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calarasi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $399 in Calarasi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Calarasi, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Calarasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $884 in Calarasi to $925 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Calarasi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.