Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lugoj

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugoj: $769 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Lugoj
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Lugoj Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Lugoj

🇷🇴 Romania

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $769 in Lugoj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Lugoj $769

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,201 in Lugoj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Lugoj $1,201

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,633 in Lugoj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Lugoj $1,633

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Lugoj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Lugoj are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Lugoj 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$9.18 RON 43.73

-76.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$33.57 RON 160

-44.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.17 RON 24.66

8.32%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.75 RON 8.32

-5.14%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$1.54 RON 7.33

-57.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$1.51 RON 7.19

-80.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.05 RON 9.77

13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$1.94 RON 9.27

89.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.60 RON 7.63

26.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.97 RON 4.63

45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$0.65 RON 3.10

113.85%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.28 RON 6.09

85.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$3.36 RON 16.03

391.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.89 RON 18.52

-31.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$4.23 RON 20.14

113.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.02 RON 4.88

135.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.24 RON 5.90

-16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.66 RON 7.91

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.62 RON 2.95

151.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.66 RON 3.12

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.66 RON 3.13

65.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.90 RON 4.28

-15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.61 RON 2.91

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.85 RON 23.10

-15.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$4.31 RON 20.53

316.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.20 RON 5.71

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.72 RON 8.21

63.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.60 RON 2.86

55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$21.22 RON 101

149.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$0.88 RON 4.18

34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.87 RON 4.15

-80.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$8.34 RON 39.77

-78.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.91 RON 9.10

-23.04%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$28.5K RON 135.8K

-26.27%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$24.9K RON 118.6K

6.57%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$52.6 RON 251

18.89%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$8.27 RON 39.41

40.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$9.56 RON 45.58

112.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$21.04 RON 100

80.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$25.03 RON 119

-85.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$9.48 RON 45.19

-31.33%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$584 RON 2,784

24.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$12.4K RON 59.3K

33.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$88.5 RON 422

-39.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$43.68 RON 208

-43.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$97.1 RON 463

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$106 RON 504

-31.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$182 RON 870

163.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$212 RON 1,011

46.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$312 RON 1,486

239.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$314 RON 1,498

109.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,320 RON 6,290

83.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,057 RON 5,036

52.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$919 RON 4,380

-35.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.65

-16.24%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lugoj: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Lugoj

$212 27.6% 31.5% $98

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Lugoj

$130 16.9% 45% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Lugoj

$151 19.6% 39.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lugoj

$70 9.2% 25.4% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Lugoj

$136 17.7% 77.9% $60

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Lugoj

$29 3.8% 50.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Lugoj

$40 5.2% 21.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $182 in Lugoj. 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 55% higher in Lugoj, 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 $34 in Lugoj. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $130 in Lugoj – so Lugoj wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Lugoj

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

10:59 10:59 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

49,742

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Lugoj 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lugoj

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 Lugoj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 22% more than Lugoj, 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 $1,153 in Lugoj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lugoj, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $182 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $584 in Lugoj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $769 in Lugoj, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Lugoj – 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.