Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Suceava

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,013 in Suceava, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Suceava outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Suceava
Learn more

Suceava Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Suceava

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,013 in Suceava, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Suceava $1,013

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,480 in Suceava, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Suceava $1,480

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,946 in Suceava, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Suceava $1,946

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper than Suceava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Suceava are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Suceava 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$6.18 RON 29.25

-63.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$31.63 RON 150

-39.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.28 RON 29.73

-10.99%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.22 RON 10.52

-22.52%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.03 RON 9.59

-68.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$1.68 RON 7.93

-80.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.55 RON 12.07

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.05 RON 14.44

27.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.29 RON 6.09

58.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.09 RON 5.18

28.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.59 RON 7.54

-19.50%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.57 RON 12.15

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.51 RON 40.25

99.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$6.26 RON 29.64

-56.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$10.96 RON 51.9

-14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.96 RON 4.52

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.50 RON 7.11

-32.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.54 RON 7.27

4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.00 RON 9.46

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.81 RON 3.83

58.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.92 RON 4.35

20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.11 RON 5.25

-35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.68 RON 3.20

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.37 RON 25.41

-19.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$5.13 RON 24.27

245.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.90 RON 4.28

81.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.39 RON 6.58

105.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.61 RON 2.90

39.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$23.06 RON 109

133.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.74 RON 3.52

58.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.75 RON 3.54

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$7.39 RON 34.96

-67.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.72 RON 8.12

-15.70%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$27.5K RON 129.9K

-25.44%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$25.5K RON 120.5K

4.14%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$185 RON 874

-66.25%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$5.58 RON 26.38

119.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$8.04 RON 38.06

148.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$36.08 RON 171

5.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$20.71 RON 98.0

-81.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$7.13 RON 33.72

-5.89%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$307 RON 1,451

159.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$8,985 RON 42.5K

65.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$37.90 RON 179

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$26.19 RON 124

-4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$66.3 RON 314

38.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$72.7 RON 344

1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$394 RON 1,866

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$320 RON 1,513

-4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$619 RON 2,929

47.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$490 RON 2,317

12.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,874 RON 8,867

2.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,341 RON 6,344

7.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$910 RON 4,307

-34.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.96

-19.97%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Suceava: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Suceava

$320 31.6% 5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Suceava

$195 19.2% 18.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Suceava

$91 9% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Suceava

$198 19.6% 110% $104

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Suceava

$129 12.7% 62.9% $50

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Suceava

$30 3% 51.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Suceava

$50 5% 1.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $394 in Suceava. 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 53% higher in Suceava, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $32.00 in Suceava. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $195 in Suceava – so Suceava wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Suceava

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

10:59 10:59 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

92,121

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Suceava 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Suceava

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 Suceava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suceava costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,520 in Suceava. 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.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $307 in Suceava. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Suceava – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Suceava at $1,013. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Suceava it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,013 in Suceava. 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, Suceava makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.