Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,001 in Targu Frumos, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Targu Frumos
Learn more

Targu Frumos Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Targu Frumos

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Targu Frumos

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,001 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Targu Frumos $1,001

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,527 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Targu Frumos $1,527

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,053 in Targu Frumos, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Targu Frumos $2,053

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

Both Chiang Mai and Targu Frumos are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Targu Frumos 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$10.73 RON 51.5

-79.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$41.38 RON 198

-54.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.43 RON 35.62

-25.30%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.42 RON 11.59

-30.99%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$2.10 RON 10.07

-69.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$1.87 RON 8.99

-83.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.05 RON 9.85

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.21 RON 15.39

14.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.18 RON 5.64

65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.71 RON 3.38

102.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.72 RON 8.25

-22.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.37 RON 16.17

-32.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$7.75 RON 37.17

112.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.95 RON 28.55

-53.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.22 RON 39.44

13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.30 RON 6.23

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.59 RON 7.60

-38.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.59 RON 7.60

0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.77 RON 8.49

-15.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.95 RON 4.54

34.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$1.01 RON 4.84

8.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.80 RON 3.84

-11.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.69 RON 3.31

-28.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.88 RON 28.20

-29.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$5.17 RON 24.80

238.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$0.93 RON 4.48

73.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.22 RON 5.86

127.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.72 RON 3.45

20.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$21.53 RON 103

151.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.61 RON 2.91

90.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.64 RON 3.08

-17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$6.93 RON 33.21

-65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.80 RON 8.65

-19.44%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$28.1K RON 134.8K

-25.09%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$25.1K RON 120.3K

7.40%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$148 RON 712

-58.11%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$7.74 RON 37.12

57.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$7.74 RON 37.13

159.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$37.80 RON 181

-1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.56 RON 98.6

-81.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.18 RON 29.64

5.02%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$589 RON 2,827

24.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,907 RON 23.5K

200.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$97.0 RON 465

-45.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$32.37 RON 155

-23.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$61.4 RON 294

49.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$84.1 RON 403

-14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$387 RON 1,856

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$283 RON 1,359

9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$589 RON 2,825

70.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$450 RON 2,159

40.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,817 RON 8,715

30.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,363 RON 6,537

16.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Targu Frumos

$283 28.3% 8.3% $25

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Targu Frumos

$182 18.2% 22.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Targu Frumos

$124 12.4% 13.8% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Targu Frumos

$164 16.4% 73.5% $69

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Targu Frumos

$170 17% 119% $92

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Targu Frumos

$28 2.8% 54% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Targu Frumos

$50 5% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $387 in Targu Frumos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $41 in Targu Frumos. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $182 in Targu Frumos – so Targu Frumos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Targu Frumos

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

03:30 3:30 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,875

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.8 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 Targu Frumos 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Targu Frumos

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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos costs about 7% 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,502 in Targu Frumos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targu Frumos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $387 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $589 in Targu Frumos. 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 Targu Frumos – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,001 in Targu Frumos. 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 $1,001 in Targu Frumos. 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.