Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Piatra Neamt

For one person, living is cheaper in Piatra Neamt: $785 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Piatra Neamt
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Piatra Neamt Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Piatra Neamt

🇷🇴 Romania

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Piatra Neamt

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $785 in Piatra Neamt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Piatra Neamt $785

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,198 in Piatra Neamt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Piatra Neamt $1,198

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,611 in Piatra Neamt, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Piatra Neamt $1,611

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Piatra Neamt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.73 RON 41.30

-73.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$32.34 RON 153

-39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.31 RON 34.59

-23.26%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.26 RON 10.70

-26.55%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.49 RON 7.07

-53.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.23 RON 5.82

-74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.87 RON 8.87

28.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.25 RON 10.66

64.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.40 RON 6.61

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.97 RON 4.61

45.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.40 RON 6.63

-6.43%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.91 RON 13.78

-25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.90 RON 37.39

110.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.74 RON 27.17

-51.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$9.82 RON 46.46

-7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.96 RON 4.53

148.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.33 RON 6.29

-22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.25 RON 5.92

30.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.83 RON 8.65

-18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.60 RON 2.83

115.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.50 RON 2.38

122.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.87 RON 4.13

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.67 RON 3.16

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.80 RON 27.46

-25.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$4.69 RON 22.18

282.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.85 RON 4.02

85.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.14 RON 5.37

149.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.62 RON 2.92

38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.81 RON 3.82

49.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.86 RON 4.06

-33.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$7.69 RON 36.38

-69.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.61 RON 7.63

-10.56%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.9K RON 136.6K

-28.21%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$25.4K RON 120.2K

5.47%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$103 RON 486

-39.31%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.35 RON 34.77

64.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$5.63 RON 26.66

254.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$31.23 RON 148

18.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$8.39 RON 39.71

-54.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.53 RON 26.15

17.54%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$1,323 RON 6,260

-40.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$52.7 RON 249

1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$29.77 RON 141

-17.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$75.7 RON 358

20.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$78.3 RON 370

-9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$282 RON 1,335

61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$190 RON 897

57.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$409 RON 1,937

121.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$268 RON 1,269

106.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,326 RON 11.0K

-17.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,864 RON 8,818

-22.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,355 RON 6,412

-56.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.63

-15.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Piatra Neamt: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Piatra Neamt

$190 24.1% 36.4% $108

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Piatra Neamt

$180 22.9% 23.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Piatra Neamt

$106 13.6% 1.6% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Piatra Neamt

$116 14.7% 22.6% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Piatra Neamt

$144 18.3% 82.8% $65

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Piatra Neamt

$7.6 * 1% 87.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Piatra Neamt

$42 5.4% 15.5% $7.8

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 $282 in Piatra Neamt. 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 129% higher in Piatra Neamt, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $32.00 in Piatra Neamt. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $180 in Piatra Neamt – so Piatra Neamt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Piatra Neamt

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

85,055

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Piatra Neamt 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Piatra Neamt

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 Piatra Neamt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Piatra Neamt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,178 in Piatra Neamt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Piatra Neamt, 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 $32.00 in Piatra Neamt. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Piatra Neamt, where all-in costs run around $785, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Piatra Neamt 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. Piatra Neamt costs $785 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 Piatra Neamt. 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.