Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cimislia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cimislia: $789 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Cimislia
Learn more

Cimislia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Cimislia

🇲🇩 Moldova

$789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $789 in Cimislia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Cimislia $789

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,125 in Cimislia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Cimislia $1,125

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,461 in Cimislia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Cimislia $1,461

Chiang Mai costs about 17% more than Cimislia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Cimislia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Cimislia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.69 MDL 119

-65.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$22.58 MDL 401

-13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$10.66 MDL 189

-47.37%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.63 MDL 29.02

1.84%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.10 MDL 19.62

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.64 MDL 11.40

-51.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.11 MDL 19.67

117.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.18 MDL 38.65

70.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.03 MDL 18.38

89.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.40 MDL 7.15

252.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.54 MDL 27.32

-14.94%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.07 MDL 36.70

5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.86 MDL 122

142.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.95 MDL 70.1

-30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$6.24 MDL 111

45.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.54 MDL 9.59

342.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.25 MDL 39.96

-54.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.43 MDL 25.34

13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.97 MDL 35.06

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.58 MDL 10.24

122.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.52 MDL 9.18

113.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.46 MDL 8.19

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.58 MDL 10.28

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.31 MDL 58.9

30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.49 MDL 79.8

299.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.15 MDL 20.42

37.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.00 MDL 35.61

42.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.27 MDL 4.78

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$2.81 MDL 49.90

-56.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.26 MDL 4.63

119.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.55 MDL 98.6

-57.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.39 MDL 24.68

3.60%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$33.2K MDL 589.1K

-37.50%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$24.4K MDL 432.5K

10.05%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$226 MDL 4,006

-72.37%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.71 MDL 137

57.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$11.03 MDL 196

80.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$16.80 MDL 298

120.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$7.50 MDL 133

-13.33%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$112 MDL 1,989

607.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,295 MDL 94.0K

179.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$45.08 MDL 801

19.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$55.2 MDL 981

64.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$50.8 MDL 903

39.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$225 MDL 3,991

102.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$168 MDL 2,984

77.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$330 MDL 5,854

175.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$280 MDL 4,981

97.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$743 MDL 13.2K

159.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$685 MDL 12.2K

110.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$425 MDL 7,550

38.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Cimislia

$168 21.3% 43.6% $130

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Cimislia

$150 19% 36.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Cimislia

$68 * 8.6% 37.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Cimislia

$244 30.9% 159% $150

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Cimislia

$122 15.5% 55.3% $43

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cimislia

$5.2 * 0.7% 91.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cimislia

$32 4% 36.5% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $225 in Cimislia. 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 39% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Cimislia. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $150 in Cimislia – so Cimislia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇩 Cimislia

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

16,100

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Cimislia

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 Cimislia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 17% more than Cimislia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,184 in Cimislia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $23.00 in Cimislia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cimislia, where all-in costs run around $789, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Cimislia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cimislia costs $789 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Cimislia. 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.