Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Miercurea Ciuc

For one person, living is cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc: $742 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Miercurea Ciuc
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Miercurea Ciuc Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Miercurea Ciuc

🇷🇴 Romania

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Miercurea Ciuc

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $742 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Miercurea Ciuc $742

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,182 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Miercurea Ciuc $1,182

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,622 in Miercurea Ciuc, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Miercurea Ciuc $1,622

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Miercurea Ciuc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Miercurea Ciuc are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Miercurea Ciuc 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.31 RON 30.20

-64.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$20.74 RON 99.2

-8.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.38 RON 30.53

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.65 RON 7.88

1.21%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.61 RON 7.72

-60.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.39 RON 6.65

-77.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.94 RON 9.30

21.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.97 RON 9.41

85.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.42 RON 6.79

37.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.13 RON 5.43

27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.37 RON 6.56

-2.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.44 RON 16.47

-33.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.80 RON 37.30

110.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.74 RON 22.70

-41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.09 RON 38.72

15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.75 RON 3.59

213.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.49 RON 7.13

-34.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.47 RON 7.05

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.60 RON 12.45

-42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.66 RON 3.15

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.61 RON 2.92

80.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.41 RON 1.96

73.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.61 RON 2.93

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.13 RON 24.57

-19.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.17 RON 24.74

238.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.89 RON 4.24

80.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.27 RON 6.09

118.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.83 RON 3.96

4.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$21.22 RON 102

154.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.96 RON 4.60

20.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.88 RON 4.20

-39.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$8.24 RON 39.44

-70.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.74 RON 8.31

-16.67%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$25.3K RON 120.9K

-16.67%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$25.5K RON 122.0K

5.63%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$114 RON 547

-45.58%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.14 RON 24.58

136.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$5.14 RON 24.61

291.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$31.85 RON 152

17.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$10.41 RON 49.79

-63.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.80 RON 22.98

35.21%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$437 RON 2,089

68.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$6,663 RON 31.9K

121.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$42.30 RON 202

26.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$16.93 RON 81.0

45.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$69.0 RON 330

32.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$85.1 RON 407

-15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$188 RON 900

156.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$158 RON 754

96.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$414 RON 1,981

142.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$376 RON 1,800

68.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,436 RON 6,873

64.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,382 RON 6,610

15.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$690 RON 3,302

-14.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.85

-18.69%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Miercurea Ciuc: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Miercurea Ciuc

$158 21.2% 49% $151

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Miercurea Ciuc

$177 23.9% 24.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Miercurea Ciuc

$96 12.9% 11.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Miercurea Ciuc

$125 16.8% 31.8% $30

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Miercurea Ciuc

$115 15.5% 48.3% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Miercurea Ciuc

$30 4% 51.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Miercurea Ciuc

$41 5.6% 17.6% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $188 in Miercurea Ciuc. 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 17% higher in Miercurea Ciuc, 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 $21 in Miercurea Ciuc. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $177 in Miercurea Ciuc – so Miercurea Ciuc wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

22:17 10:17 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

38,966

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.186 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.83 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.36 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Miercurea Ciuc 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Miercurea Ciuc

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 Miercurea Ciuc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 26% more than Miercurea Ciuc, 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 $1,113 in Miercurea Ciuc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Miercurea Ciuc, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $188 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $437 in Miercurea Ciuc. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Miercurea Ciuc – 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.