Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Targoviste

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Targoviste: $936 and $958 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Targoviste
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Targoviste Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Targoviste

🇷🇴 Romania

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $958 in Targoviste, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Targoviste $958

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,376 in Targoviste, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Targoviste $1,376

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,793 in Targoviste, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Targoviste $1,793

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

Both Chiang Mai and Targoviste are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Targoviste 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$7.17 RON 34.29

-68.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$25.39 RON 121

-25.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.37 RON 30.50

-12.87%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.09 RON 9.98

-20.10%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.35 RON 6.45

-52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.30 RON 6.23

-76.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.06 RON 9.86

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.71 RON 12.95

35.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.32 RON 6.32

47.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.87 RON 4.17

65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.36 RON 6.51

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.54 RON 12.17

-10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$3.21 RON 15.38

412.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.34 RON 30.33

-56.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.20 RON 53.6

-16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.03 RON 4.95

128.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.51 RON 7.22

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.47 RON 7.04

8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.83 RON 8.76

-18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.83 RON 3.97

54.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.92 RON 4.39

19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.75 RON 3.60

-5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.76 RON 3.61

-35.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.86 RON 28.03

-29.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.43 RON 25.98

222.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.15 RON 5.50

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.47 RON 7.06

89.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.44 RON 2.10

97.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$21.70 RON 104

149.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.77 RON 3.69

50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.61 RON 2.91

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.34 RON 30.33

-61.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.60 RON 7.66

-9.38%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$28.9K RON 138.5K

-27.23%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$25.3K RON 121.1K

6.45%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$218 RON 1,042

-71.46%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.21 RON 34.51

68.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$8.23 RON 39.37

144.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$21.14 RON 101

76.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.95 RON 95.5

-81.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.19 RON 15.27

103.45%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$312 RON 1,491

136.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$8,239 RON 39.4K

79.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$63.4 RON 303

-15.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$31.01 RON 148

-20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$53.7 RON 257

70.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$74.4 RON 356

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$355 RON 1,698

35.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$265 RON 1,267

16.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$453 RON 2,166

122.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$401 RON 1,918

58.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,877 RON 8,980

25.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,353 RON 6,473

17.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$867 RON 4,147

-31.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.84

-18.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Targoviste: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Targoviste

$265 27.6% 14.3% $44

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Targoviste

$178 18.5% 24.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Targoviste

$100 10.4% 7.9% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Targoviste

$233 24.3% 147% $139

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Targoviste

$128 13.3% 64.7% $50

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Targoviste

$27 2.9% 55.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Targoviste

$28 2.9% 45.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $355 in Targoviste. 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 47% higher in Targoviste. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $25 in Targoviste. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $178 in Targoviste – so Targoviste wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Targoviste

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

79,610

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Targoviste 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Targoviste

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 Targoviste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,438 in Targoviste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targoviste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $355 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $25 in Targoviste. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Targoviste. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $958 in Targoviste. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $958 in Targoviste. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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