Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Targu Mures

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Targu Mures: $925 and $938 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 Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $938 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Targu Mures $938

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,461 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Targu Mures $1,461

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,984 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Targu Mures $1,984

Chiang Mai is about 1% cheaper than Targu Mures, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Targu Mures are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Targu Mures 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.12 RON 43.15

-74.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$42.19 RON 200

-53.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.00 RON 37.83

-29.87%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.17 RON 10.27

-23.50%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.44 RON 6.83

-51.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.23 RON 5.83

-74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.91 RON 9.04

26.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.26 RON 10.68

64.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.34 RON 6.34

45.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.07 RON 5.07

31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.45 RON 6.87

-9.66%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.88 RON 13.65

-24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.00 RON 37.84

108.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.81 RON 27.47

-52.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.08 RON 47.68

-9.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.00 RON 4.72

139.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.33 RON 6.29

-22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.39 RON 6.59

17.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.90 RON 9.00

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.77 RON 3.64

67.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.55 RON 2.61

101.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.80 RON 3.79

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 RON 3.64

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.84 RON 27.61

-26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.39 RON 34.98

142.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.07 RON 5.06

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.55 RON 7.32

83.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.66 RON 3.11

30.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$25.06 RON 119

112.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.88 RON 4.14

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.85 RON 4.04

-32.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$7.47 RON 35.32

-68.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.81 RON 8.55

-20.44%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.1K RON 133.0K

-26.25%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$25.3K RON 119.8K

5.85%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$101 RON 477

-38.15%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$9.37 RON 44.35

29.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$8.19 RON 38.75

143.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$42.30 RON 200

-12.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$18.38 RON 87.0

-79.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.27 RON 29.67

3.67%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$1,330 RON 6,291

-40.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$52.3 RON 248

2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$29.80 RON 141

-17.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$76.7 RON 363

18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$77.4 RON 366

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$415 RON 1,964

9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$286 RON 1,355

3.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$650 RON 3,077

39.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$472 RON 2,232

17.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,238 RON 10.6K

-13.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,487 RON 7,035

-2.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$991 RON 4,687

-40.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.47

-25.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Targu Mures

$286 30.5% 3.8% $11

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Targu Mures

$192 20.5% 18.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Targu Mures

$106 11.3% 1.7% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Targu Mures

$118 12.6% 25.4% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Targu Mures

$148 15.8% 88% $69

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Targu Mures

$33 3.5% 46% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Targu Mures

$55 5.8% 9.5% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $415 in Targu Mures. 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 68% higher in Targu Mures, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $42.00 in Targu Mures. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $192 in Targu Mures – so Targu Mures wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

04:18 4:18 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

134,290

💱 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 24, 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 24, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Targu Mures 7,330 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Targu Mures

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 Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Mures costs about 1% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,408 in Targu Mures. 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 $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,330 in Targu Mures. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 23% cheaper in Targu Mures – 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 $925, than in Targu Mures at $938. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Targu Mures it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $938 in Targu Mures. 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, Targu Mures makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.