Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Carei

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $974 in Carei, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Carei
Learn more

Carei Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Carei

🇷🇴 Romania

$974

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $974 in Carei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Carei $974

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,549 in Carei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Carei $1,549

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,124 in Carei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Carei $2,124

Chiang Mai is about 4% cheaper than Carei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Carei are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Carei 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$11.32 RON 53.8

-81.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$40.18 RON 191

-53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.33 RON 39.58

-32.77%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.58 RON 12.24

-35.66%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$1.81 RON 8.58

-64.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.43 RON 6.79

-79.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$2.03 RON 9.66

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.81 RON 13.35

30.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.43 RON 6.79

41.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.10 RON 5.21

28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.43 RON 6.80

-2.80%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.88 RON 13.69

-17.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.91 RON 37.62

108.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.99 RON 28.45

-55.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.81 RON 46.63

-8.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.09 RON 5.20

120.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.51 RON 7.18

-31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.45 RON 6.90

14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.92 RON 9.11

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.73 RON 3.49

69.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.75 RON 3.55

45.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.94 RON 4.48

-19.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.68 RON 3.24

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.89 RON 28.00

-30.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$6.02 RON 28.63

197.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.02 RON 4.86

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.64 RON 7.79

71.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.67 RON 3.20

38.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$23.08 RON 110

129.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.83 RON 3.93

42.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.64 RON 3.03

-73.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$6.59 RON 31.35

-72.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.85 RON 8.79

-20.54%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$32.3K RON 153.6K

-34.96%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$28.9K RON 137.5K

-8.31%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$117 RON 557

-46.57%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$7.68 RON 36.53

51.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$8.69 RON 41.32

133.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$40.46 RON 192

-6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$21.14 RON 101

-82.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$8.14 RON 38.67

-20.02%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$381 RON 1,812

90.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$8,339 RON 39.6K

98.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$60.7 RON 288

-11.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$39.68 RON 189

-37.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$67.5 RON 321

33.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$93.1 RON 442

-22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$339 RON 1,612

41.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$270 RON 1,285

14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$624 RON 2,965

69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$523 RON 2,486

25.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$2,111 RON 10.0K

14.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,222 RON 5,809

31.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Carei: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Carei

$270 27.7% 12.8% $40

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Carei

$192 19.7% 19% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Carei

$117 12.1% 8.4% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Carei

$133 13.7% 41.3% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Carei

$175 18% 129% $99

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Carei

$30 3.1% 49.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Carei

$57 5.8% 11.5% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $339 in Carei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in Carei. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Carei – so Carei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Carei

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

25,911

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Carei 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Carei

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 Carei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carei costs about 4% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,462 in Carei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Carei, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Carei – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $40 in Carei. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $974 in Carei. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $974 in Carei. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.