Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Carei Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Carei

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,049 in Carei, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,566 in Carei, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,083 in Carei, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 19% cheaper than Carei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Carei are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Carei 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$9.33 RON 42.44

-78.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$46.22 RON 210

-59.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$7.71 RON 35.07

1.95%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.68 RON 12.18

-24.25%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$2.01 RON 9.12

-60.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$1.75 RON 7.98

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.31 RON 10.52

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.83 RON 12.87

29.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.55 RON 7.06

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.19 RON 5.40

31.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.65 RON 7.52

-27.27%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$3.34 RON 15.19

-41.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$8.38 RON 38.12

93.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.57 RON 29.87

-53.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$10.23 RON 46.51

5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.17 RON 5.32

136.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.59 RON 7.25

-26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.54 RON 7.00

11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.93 RON 8.77

-17.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.83 RON 3.79

67.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.92 RON 4.17

26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.92 RON 4.19

-28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.84 RON 3.80

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$5.97 RON 27.12

-22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$5.62 RON 25.57

216.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.04 RON 4.71

72.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.62 RON 7.37

106.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.72 RON 3.27

26.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$19.56 RON 89.0

-4.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.73 RON 3.31

93.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.70 RON 3.18

91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$6.73 RON 30.59

20.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.59 RON 7.24

-22.64%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$27.6K RON 125.4K

-22.29%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$27.5K RON 125.2K

-20.78%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$150 RON 681

-52.41%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$8.04 RON 36.54

74.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$9.14 RON 41.57

96.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$42.19 RON 192

-3.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$19.40 RON 88.2

-64.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$6.71 RON 30.50

-14.75%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$434 RON 1,973

-28.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$6,895 RON 31.3K

112.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$66.5 RON 302

-16.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$39.05 RON 178

-33.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$74.9 RON 341

13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$92.6 RON 421

-23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$393 RON 1,786

7.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$294 RON 1,337

-17.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$597 RON 2,716

33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$431 RON 1,961

17.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$1,943 RON 8,836

-1.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$1,410 RON 6,410

3.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

-23.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Carei: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $393 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $46.00 in Carei. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $205 in Carei – so Carei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 23% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,574 in Carei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Carei – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $46.00 in Carei. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $1,049 in Carei, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,049 in Carei. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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