Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,285 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
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Chisinau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,285 in Chisinau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Chisinau $1,285

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,984 in Chisinau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Chisinau $1,984

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,684 in Chisinau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Chisinau $2,684

Chiang Mai is about 27% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Chisinau 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.32 MDL 201

-80.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$51.0 MDL 906

-62.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$8.85 MDL 157

-36.84%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.11 MDL 37.43

-18.48%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.19 MDL 21.13

-46.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.93 MDL 16.53

-64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.25 MDL 40.03

4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.95 MDL 34.61

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.27 MDL 22.56

61.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.73 MDL 12.88

91.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.39 MDL 24.71

-7.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.82 MDL 50.1

-20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$9.49 MDL 169

78.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.07 MDL 90.1

-45.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.65 MDL 154

8.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.94 MDL 16.72

155.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.91 MDL 33.83

-47.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.11 MDL 37.42

-23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.16 MDL 38.28

-29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.68 MDL 12.07

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.56 MDL 10.00

98.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.29 MDL 22.95

-44.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.83 MDL 14.76

-37.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.39 MDL 60.2

27.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.67 MDL 83.0

279.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.26 MDL 22.44

29.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.96 MDL 34.83

45.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.40 MDL 7.16

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$13.50 MDL 240

299.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.29 MDL 40.61

-48.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.33 MDL 5.83

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.11 MDL 90.8

-53.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.64 MDL 29.20

-11.59%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$29.5K MDL 524.6K

-30.68%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$29.7K MDL 527.0K

-10.66%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$239 MDL 4,245

-73.92%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$9.40 MDL 167

30.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$10.43 MDL 185

91.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$42.21 MDL 750

-10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$20.30 MDL 361

-81.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$8.55 MDL 152

-21.52%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$425 MDL 7,543

87.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,785 MDL 102.7K

156.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$80.8 MDL 1,434

-34.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$47.59 MDL 845

-47.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$116 MDL 2,056

-20.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$113 MDL 2,011

-35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$676 MDL 12.0K

-31.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$431 MDL 7,651

-29.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$1,258 MDL 22.3K

-27.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$846 MDL 15.0K

-34.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,680 MDL 47.6K

-28.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,937 MDL 34.4K

-25.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$866 MDL 15.4K

-31.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.1

-38.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Chisinau

$431 33.5% 41.4% $126

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Chisinau

$190 14.8% 20.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Chisinau

$161 12.5% 46.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Chisinau

$259 20.2% 174% $164

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Chisinau

$166 12.9% 110% $87

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 68.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Chisinau

$59 4.6% 15.5% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $676 in Chisinau. 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 46% higher in Chisinau, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $51.0 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Chisinau 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Chisinau

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chisinau costs about 37% 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,927 in Chisinau. 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.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $425 in Chisinau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Chisinau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Chisinau at $1,285. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chisinau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,285 in Chisinau. 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, Chisinau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.