Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Satu Mare

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Satu Mare: $925 and $930 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Satu Mare

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $930 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Satu Mare $930

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,406 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Satu Mare $1,406

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,883 in Satu Mare, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Satu Mare $1,883

Chiang Mai and Satu Mare have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Satu Mare are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Satu Mare 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$8.20 RON 38.81

-72.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$32.51 RON 154

-39.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.48 RON 30.67

-13.43%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.50 RON 11.81

-33.60%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.49 RON 7.04

-53.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.28 RON 6.07

-75.78%

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

$2.44 RON 11.55

52.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.13 RON 5.33

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.06 RON 5.04

33.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.13 RON 5.36

15.93%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.69 RON 12.71

-18.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.35 RON 34.79

126.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$7.53 RON 35.63

-63.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.83 RON 51.2

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.10 RON 5.19

117.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.30 RON 6.15

-20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 RON 6.04

27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.43 RON 6.75

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.19 RON 5.61

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.37 RON 6.48

-18.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.88 RON 4.14

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.71 RON 3.34

-25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.57 RON 26.38

-22.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.19 RON 29.29

189.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.23 RON 5.80

28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.70 RON 8.06

67.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.54 RON 2.56

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$23.41 RON 111

127.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.80 RON 3.79

51.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.85 RON 4.03

-32.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$8.10 RON 38.34

-70.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.58 RON 7.47

-8.86%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.8K RON 107.9K

-9.06%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$25.3K RON 119.5K

6.10%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$126 RON 597

-50.58%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.14 RON 33.79

69.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.25 RON 34.30

175.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$41.55 RON 197

-10.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$10.68 RON 50.5

-64.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.19 RON 29.29

5.01%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$155 RON 733

411.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$3,829 RON 18.1K

286.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$59.6 RON 282

-9.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$28.51 RON 135

-13.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$85.6 RON 405

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$69.2 RON 328

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$322 RON 1,524

41.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$260 RON 1,229

14.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$647 RON 3,060

40.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$410 RON 1,938

35.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,007 RON 4,765

91.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,056 RON 4,995

36.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$650 RON 3,075

-9.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.05

-20.99%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Satu Mare

$260 27.9% 12.8% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Satu Mare

$195 21% 17.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 1.1% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Satu Mare

$141 15.1% 48.9% $46

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Satu Mare

$140 15.1% 78.6% $62

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Satu Mare

$31 3.3% 49.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Satu Mare

$54 5.8% 7.7% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $322 in Satu Mare. 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 10% higher in Satu Mare. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $33.00 in Satu Mare. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $195 in Satu Mare – so Satu Mare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

102,411

💱 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 23, 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 23, 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 Satu Mare 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,394 in Satu Mare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $33.00 in Satu Mare. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Satu Mare at $930. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Satu Mare it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $930 in Satu Mare. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Satu Mare makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.