Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Drobeta-Turnu Severin

For one person, living is cheaper in Drobeta-Turnu Severin: $885 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Drobeta-Turnu Severin
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Drobeta-Turnu Severin Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

🇷🇴 Romania

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Drobeta-Turnu Severin

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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $885 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $885

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,483 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $1,483

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,081 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Drobeta-Turnu Severin $2,081

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Drobeta-Turnu Severin are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Drobeta-Turnu Severin 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$8.34 RON 39.64

-74.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$41.68 RON 198

-55.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.24 RON 34.41

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.20 RON 15.20

-48.13%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$2.09 RON 9.95

-68.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$1.80 RON 8.55

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$3.07 RON 14.59

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.92 RON 18.62

-6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.37 RON 6.52

47.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.11 RON 5.28

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.38 RON 6.56

0.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$3.47 RON 16.52

-31.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.98 RON 37.92

107.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.80 RON 27.57

-53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.80 RON 37.09

15.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.19 RON 5.65

101.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.56 RON 7.43

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.48 RON 7.04

12.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$2.53 RON 12.04

-38.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.71 RON 3.38

74.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.61 RON 2.88

78.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.04 RON 4.93

-26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.87 RON 4.15

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.02 RON 28.61

-31.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$7.16 RON 34.02

150.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$0.91 RON 4.35

78.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$1.38 RON 6.56

104.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.63 RON 2.97

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$22.28 RON 106

137.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.89 RON 4.25

32.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.87 RON 4.16

-80.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$9.31 RON 44.23

-80.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.88 RON 8.92

-21.81%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$28.6K RON 135.9K

-26.53%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$25.3K RON 120.2K

4.82%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$116 RON 551

-46.06%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$8.90 RON 42.31

30.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$12.27 RON 58.3

65.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$32.17 RON 153

17.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$21.19 RON 101

-82.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$6.66 RON 31.64

-2.25%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$435 RON 2,068

67.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$10.2K RON 48.7K

61.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$101 RON 479

-46.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$38.50 RON 183

-35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$86.8 RON 413

4.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$89.8 RON 427

-19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$385 RON 1,830

24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$170 RON 808

82.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$603 RON 2,864

75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$458 RON 2,179

43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$1,630 RON 7,747

48.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,544 RON 7,337

4.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$914 RON 4,343

-34.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.02

-20.66%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Drobeta-Turnu Severin: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$170 19.2% 45.1% $140

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$194 21.9% 18% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$142 16.1% 31.2% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$137 15.5% 45.2% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$166 18.7% 116% $89

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$30 3.4% 48.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

$45 5.1% 10.6% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $385 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. 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 54% higher in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $42 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $194 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin – so Drobeta-Turnu Severin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Drobeta-Turnu Severin

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

07:26 7:26 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

92,617

💱 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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Drobeta-Turnu Severin

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 Drobeta-Turnu Severin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than Drobeta-Turnu Severin, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,327 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $435 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Drobeta-Turnu Severin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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