Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zalau

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
Learn more

Zalau Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $871 in Zalau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Zalau $871

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,330 in Zalau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Zalau $1,330

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,789 in Zalau, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Zalau $1,789

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Zalau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Zalau are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Zalau 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$7.46 RON 35.65

-71.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$33.98 RON 162

-45.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.33 RON 25.46

5.07%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.12 RON 10.15

-21.70%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$1.52 RON 7.25

-57.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$1.22 RON 5.85

-75.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$1.65 RON 7.90

40.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.36 RON 11.28

55.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.33 RON 6.36

51.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.10 RON 5.27

28.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.23 RON 5.86

13.01%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.97 RON 9.44

20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$8.05 RON 38.47

105.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$5.58 RON 26.66

-52.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$10.27 RON 49.07

-12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$0.87 RON 4.15

175.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.26 RON 6.04

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.44 RON 6.90

15.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.81 RON 8.67

-13.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.66 RON 3.14

87.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.54 RON 2.60

101.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.61 RON 2.93

24.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.71 RON 3.38

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.07 RON 24.22

-18.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$5.27 RON 25.21

240.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.03 RON 4.90

57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$1.14 RON 5.44

147.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.87 RON 4.14

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$22.03 RON 105

140.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.23 RON 5.88

-4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.22 RON 5.85

-86.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$12.42 RON 59.3

-85.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.52 RON 7.28

-3.29%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$28.5K RON 136.2K

-26.25%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$25.4K RON 121.6K

4.26%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$102 RON 488

-38.68%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$4.14 RON 19.77

180.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$6.31 RON 30.14

221.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$32.74 RON 157

15.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$20.10 RON 96.1

-81.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$5.35 RON 25.56

21.68%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$433 RON 2,067

68.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$8,275 RON 39.6K

100.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$51.6 RON 246

3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$29.85 RON 143

-16.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$57.6 RON 275

57.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$63.2 RON 302

13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$381 RON 1,819

26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$287 RON 1,372

7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$614 RON 2,933

72.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$457 RON 2,185

44.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,910 RON 9,128

26.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$1,369 RON 6,544

17.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$615 RON 2,938

-3.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.85

-18.69%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zalau: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Zalau

$287 33% 7.4% $23

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Zalau

$179 20.5% 24.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Zalau

$91 10.5% 16% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Zalau

$112 12.9% 19% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Zalau

$125 14.4% 63.3% $48

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Zalau

$33 3.8% 44% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Zalau

$43 5% 14.7% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $381 in Zalau. 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 3% higher in Zalau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $34 in Zalau. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $179 in Zalau – so Zalau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Zalau

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

19:39 7:39 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

56,202

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.186 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.37 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zalau 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zalau

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 Zalau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Zalau, 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 $1,306 in Zalau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zalau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $381 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $433 in Zalau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Zalau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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