Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sfantu Gheorghe

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe: $815 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sfantu Gheorghe
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Sfantu Gheorghe Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sfantu Gheorghe

🇷🇴 Romania

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sfantu Gheorghe

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $815 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sfantu Gheorghe $815

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,299 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,299

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,783 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,783

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Sfantu Gheorghe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sfantu Gheorghe are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sfantu Gheorghe 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$8.28 RON 39.50

-72.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$41.67 RON 199

-54.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.57 RON 36.09

-26.68%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.57 RON 12.25

-35.02%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$1.23 RON 5.85

-47.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.02 RON 4.88

-69.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.4

$2.55 RON 12.16

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.09 RON 9.98

75.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.6

$1.44 RON 6.88

35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.39

$1.10 RON 5.24

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.96

$1.35 RON 6.43

-1.48%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿76.9

$3.46 RON 16.50

-34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$8.02 RON 38.26

105.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.7

$4.41 RON 21.04

-36.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.11 RON 38.65

14.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.07 RON 5.10

119.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.50 RON 7.14

-35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.20 RON 5.73

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.54 RON 12.13

-40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.05

$0.69 RON 3.30

85.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.13

$0.60 RON 2.88

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.78

$1.04 RON 4.95

-31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.75 RON 3.60

-34.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.86 RON 23.18

-14.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$7.35 RON 35.06

138.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$0.99 RON 4.72

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.06 RON 5.07

162.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.26

$0.87 RON 4.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,822

$15.85 RON 75.6

241.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿38.99

$1.00 RON 4.75

16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.77

$0.80 RON 3.83

-33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$8.54 RON 40.75

-71.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.81

$1.62 RON 7.72

-10.49%

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

$21.1K ฿709.5K

$29.1K RON 138.6K

-27.53%

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

$26.9K ฿907.7K

$25.6K RON 122.2K

5.12%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$116 RON 553

-46.35%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$9.13 RON 43.56

33.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$12.34 RON 58.9

63.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$40.19 RON 192

-7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.37 RON 97.2

-81.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.15 RON 15.01

106.03%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$450 RON 2,147

63.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.4K

$6,746 RON 32.2K

118.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,798

$26.79 RON 128

99.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$13.66 RON 65.2

80.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,082

$39.70 RON 189

130.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$64.2 RON 306

11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.2K

$295 RON 1,408

63.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$211 RON 1,004

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$520 RON 2,480

93.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$399 RON 1,901

58.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,888 RON 9,002

25.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.5K

$1,351 RON 6,443

17.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$690 RON 3,290

-14.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$211 25.8% 31.9% $98

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$185 22.7% 21% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$65 8% 40.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$137 16.9% 45.4% $43

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$146 17.9% 87.8% $68

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$24 3% 60.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$46 5.7% 7.5% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $295 in Sfantu Gheorghe. 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 Sfantu Gheorghe, 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 Sfantu Gheorghe. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in Sfantu Gheorghe – so Sfantu Gheorghe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Sfantu Gheorghe

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

20:03 8:03 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

56,006

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.33 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Sfantu Gheorghe 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sfantu Gheorghe

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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Sfantu Gheorghe, 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 $1,222 in Sfantu Gheorghe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $295 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $450 in Sfantu Gheorghe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $815 in Sfantu Gheorghe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sfantu Gheorghe – 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.