Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rădăuți

For one person, living is cheaper in Rădăuți: $748 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rădăuți, Romania
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Rădăuți
🇷🇴 Romania
$748
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $748 in Rădăuți, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Rădăuți $748

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,215 in Rădăuți, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Rădăuți $1,215

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,682 in Rădăuți, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Rădăuți $1,682

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Rădăuți, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Rădăuți are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rădăuți 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$9.00 RON 43.04
-75.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$41.78 RON 200
-54.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$8.34 RON 39.90
-33.45%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$2.11 RON 10.11
-20.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$1.50 RON 7.18
-57.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$1.18 RON 5.63
-73.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$1.32 RON 6.31
78.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$2.15 RON 10.29
70.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.06 RON 5.09
83.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$1.07 RON 5.11
34.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$1.40 RON 6.71
-5.00%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$2.14 RON 10.25
6.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$7.33 RON 35.09
124.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$5.14 RON 24.60
-45.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$9.00 RON 43.08
3.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$0.64 RON 3.08
267.19%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.32 RON 6.31
-26.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.45 RON 6.92
10.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.72 RON 8.21
-12.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$0.76 RON 3.62
68.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$0.53 RON 2.56
107.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$0.76 RON 3.66
-6.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.76 RON 3.66
-35.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$3.52 RON 16.82
17.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$6.46 RON 30.89
171.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$0.66 RON 3.16
143.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.08 RON 5.15
157.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$0.80 RON 3.82
45.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.82 RON 3.90
-35.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$7.57 RON 36.24
-68.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.65 RON 7.89
-12.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$28.0K RON 134.1K
-24.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$25.1K RON 120.0K
7.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$100 RON 480
-38.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$9.30 RON 44.47
30.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$7.93 RON 37.94
153.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$37.08 RON 177
0.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$6.30 RON 30.15
3.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$358 RON 1,711
105.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$52.9 RON 253
0.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$29.95 RON 143
-17.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$75.2 RON 360
21.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$77.8 RON 372
-7.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$206 RON 986
134.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$156 RON 747
97.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$419 RON 2,007
139.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$317 RON 1,518
99.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Rădăuți
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$954 RON 4,563
-38.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
7.08
-21.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rădăuți: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Rădăuți
$156 49.5% $153
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Rădăuți
$170 27.6% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Rădăuți
$106 2.3% $2.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Rădăuți
$118 24.5% $23
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Rădăuți
$144 85.6% $66
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Rădăuți
$4.9 * 92.1% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Rădăuți
$50 1.2% $0.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $206 in Rădăuți. 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 62% higher in Rădăuți, 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 Rădăuți. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $170 in Rădăuți – so Rădăuți wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇷🇴 Rădăuți
🕒 Local time
15:06 3:06 PM
10:06 10:06 AM
5 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
31,074
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Rădăuți 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Rădăuți

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 Rădăuți: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Rădăuți?
Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Rădăuți, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Rădăuți?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,122 in Rădăuți. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Rădăuți?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rădăuți, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $206 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Rădăuți?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $42 in Rădăuți. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Rădăuți?
Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Chiang Mai or in Rădăuți?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $748 in Rădăuți, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Rădăuți – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Rădăuți?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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