Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $356 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$356

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $356 in Orhei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Orhei $356

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $580 in Orhei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Orhei $580

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $805 in Orhei, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Orhei $805

Chiang Mai costs about 163% more than Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Orhei are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Orhei 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$11.28 MDL 201

-80.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$21.89 MDL 391

-13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.92 MDL 123

-19.80%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.36 MDL 24.26

22.79%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.79 MDL 14.14

-18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.47 MDL 8.36

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.13 MDL 20.20

108.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.35 MDL 24.17

171.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.97 MDL 17.32

101.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.32 MDL 5.71

350.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.89 MDL 33.71

20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.89 MDL 33.78

-48.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.62 MDL 10.98

106.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.51 MDL 9.16

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.16 MDL 2.84

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.14 MDL 20.32

1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.71 MDL 30.45

-15.20%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$19.9K MDL 355.7K

35.20%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$58.7 MDL 1,048

5.89%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.68 MDL 119

82.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$9.96 MDL 178

102.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.28 MDL 58.5

97.87%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$33.31 MDL 595

60.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$32.83 MDL 586

-24.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$105 MDL 1,878

-13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$32.97 MDL 589

118.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Orhei

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Orhei

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Orhei

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Orhei

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Orhei

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Orhei

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Orhei

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Orhei. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $40 in Orhei – so Orhei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

24,918

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MDL = 5.6 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.85 MDL (100 MDL = 5.6 USD). 1 EUR = 19.87 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 163% more than Orhei, 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 $534 in Orhei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $356 in Orhei. That’s a gap of about 163%.

Groceries cost about 489% 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.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $356 in Orhei to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.