Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Soroca

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $391 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $391 in Soroca, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Soroca $391

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $634 in Soroca, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Soroca $634

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $876 in Soroca, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Soroca $876

Chiang Mai costs about 139% more than Soroca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Soroca are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Soroca 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$11.11 MDL 199

-79.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$22.66 MDL 405

-16.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.62 MDL 82.6

20.13%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.44 MDL 25.67

15.97%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.76 MDL 13.56

-15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.43 MDL 7.75

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.15 MDL 20.59

105.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.42 MDL 25.36

157.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.03 MDL 18.47

89.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.36 MDL 6.37

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.15 MDL 20.51

15.65%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.89 MDL 33.77

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

$2.00 MDL 35.72

-51.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.62 MDL 11.08

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 9.07

-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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.13 MDL 20.27

2.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.75 MDL 31.22

-17.14%

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

$20.8K MDL 372.7K

29.25%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$59.5 MDL 1,064

4.43%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.27 MDL 148

47.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$13.10 MDL 234

53.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$28.54 MDL 510

30.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.44 MDL 61.5

88.66%

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

$33.45 MDL 598

59.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$33.93 MDL 607

-27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$108 MDL 1,928

-15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$33.93 MDL 607

112.02%

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

$507 MDL 9,073

16.22%

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 Soroca: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Soroca

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Soroca

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Soroca

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Soroca

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Soroca

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Soroca

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Soroca

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 16% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Soroca. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $46 in Soroca – so Soroca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇩 Soroca

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

03:23 3:23 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

37,400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Soroca 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Soroca

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 Soroca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 139% more than Soroca, 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 $586 in Soroca. 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 $391 in Soroca. That makes Soroca about 58% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 410% 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 $391 in Soroca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $391 in Soroca to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Soroca. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.