Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zărnești

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Zărnești: $925 and $889 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Zărnești
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Zărnești Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Zărnești

🇷🇴 Romania

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $889 in Zărnești, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Zărnești $889

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,383 in Zărnești, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Zărnești $1,383

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,877 in Zărnești, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Zărnești $1,877

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Zărnești, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Zărnești are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Zărnești 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$9.00 RON 42.60

-74.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$42.40 RON 201

-53.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$8.36 RON 39.57

-32.89%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.18 RON 10.34

-23.85%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.46 RON 6.90

-52.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$1.20 RON 5.66

-74.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.90 RON 9.00

26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.28 RON 10.79

62.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.27 RON 6.02

53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.07 RON 5.06

31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.44 RON 6.81

-9.03%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.79 RON 13.20

-21.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.89 RON 37.33

111.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.74 RON 22.42

-41.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.40 RON 49.21

-12.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$0.93 RON 4.41

156.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.33 RON 6.30

-22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.27 RON 6.02

28.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.28 RON 6.06

17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.78 RON 3.67

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.52 RON 2.45

113.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.80 RON 3.80

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.77 RON 3.63

-31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.15 RON 24.37

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.42 RON 35.09

141.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.07 RON 5.08

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.29 RON 6.12

120.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.70 RON 3.32

22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$21.32 RON 101

149.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.88 RON 4.15

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.86 RON 4.05

-33.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$7.45 RON 35.26

-68.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.51 RON 7.16

-4.64%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.5K RON 134.9K

-27.29%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$26.0K RON 122.9K

3.18%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$99.0 RON 468

-37.01%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$9.28 RON 43.89

30.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$8.00 RON 37.86

149.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$37.82 RON 179

-1.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$19.41 RON 91.9

-80.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$6.24 RON 29.55

4.17%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$429 RON 2,031

84.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$7,733 RON 36.6K

91.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$44.43 RON 210

20.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$27.26 RON 129

-9.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$68.9 RON 326

31.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$76.8 RON 363

-7.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$434 RON 2,054

4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$266 RON 1,258

12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$576 RON 2,727

57.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$424 RON 2,008

30.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,751 RON 8,283

10.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,329 RON 6,288

8.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$510 RON 2,415

15.74%

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 Zărnești: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Zărnești

$266 29.9% 10.7% $32

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Zărnești

$182 20.4% 22.9% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Zărnești

$98 11% 9.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Zărnești

$116 13.1% 23.2% $22

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Zărnești

$148 16.7% 88.4% $69

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Zărnești

$29 3.3% 51.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Zărnești

$50 5.7% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $434 in Zărnești. 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 16% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 Zărnești. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $182 in Zărnești – so Zărnești wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇷🇴 Zărnești

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

24,926

💱 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 Zărnești 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zărnești

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 Zărnești: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Zărnești, 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 $1,334 in Zărnești. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zărnești, 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 $429 in Zărnești. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zărnești, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Zărnești it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Zărnești costs $889 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Zărnești. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.