Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cluj-Napoca and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cluj-Napoca
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Cluj-Napoca Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Cluj-Napoca

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,406

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cluj-Napoca and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cluj-Napoca and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,406 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $1,406
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,113
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,819 per month in Cluj-Napoca vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Cluj-Napoca $2,819
Chiang Mai $1,914

Cluj-Napoca costs about 50% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cluj-Napoca sits 4% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 RON 60.4

$2.26 ฿75.4

465.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 RON 259

$19.18 ฿641

185.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 RON 45.41

$5.59 ฿187

71.74%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 17.18

$1.72 ฿57.6

111.05%

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

$2.31 RON 10.92

$0.64 ฿21.54

260.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 11.01

$0.33 ฿11.18

606.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 RON 15.47

$2.36 ฿78.7

38.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 RON 20.21

$3.90 ฿130

9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 RON 7.26

$2.05 ฿68.6

-25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 RON 7.13

$1.40 ฿46.70

7.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.28 ฿42.89

41.41%

Eggs

$3.86 RON 18.28

$2.25 ฿75.3

71.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 RON 43.28

$16.94 ฿566

-45.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.28 RON 34.45

$2.74 ฿91.6

165.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 RON 55.5

$9.36 ฿313

25.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 RON 6.70

$2.40 ฿80.3

-40.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.00

$1.01 ฿33.92

67.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$1.61 ฿53.9

21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 RON 11.30

$1.52 ฿50.7

57.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.44

$1.28 ฿42.90

-26.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 RON 4.26

$1.11 ฿37.22

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.25

$0.72 ฿24.09

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 RON 4.79

$0.52 ฿17.54

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 RON 28.89

$4.33 ฿145

41.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 RON 34.84

$17.73 ฿593

-58.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 RON 6.08

$1.63 ฿54.4

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.38

$2.85 ฿95.3

-37.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.29

$0.85 ฿28.31

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 RON 145

$53.9 ฿1,801

-43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 RON 4.22

$1.17 ฿39.18

-23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 RON 4.37

$0.57 ฿19.00

61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 RON 39.71

$2.37 ฿79.2

254.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$1.45 ฿48.32

31.03%

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

$28.0K RON 132.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

36.78%

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

$24.8K RON 117.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-6.53%

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

$153 RON 725

$62.3 ฿2,083

146.01%

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

$8.59 RON 40.64

$12.27 ฿410

-29.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.77 RON 46.24

$19.97 ฿668

-51.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.15 RON 218

$37.91 ฿1,267

21.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 RON 107

$3.76 ฿126

499.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 RON 44.09

$6.71 ฿224

38.90%

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

$587 RON 2,780

$797 ฿26.6K

-26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,476 RON 44.8K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-36.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 RON 419

$53.3 ฿1,780

66.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 RON 216

$25.05 ฿837

82.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 RON 479

$91.6 ฿3,062

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 512

$73.5 ฿2,455

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 RON 2,941

$464 ฿15.5K

33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 RON 2,480

$305 ฿10.2K

72.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 RON 5,429

$915 ฿30.6K

25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 RON 3,816

$552 ฿18.5K

46.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,709 RON 22.3K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

146.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,348 RON 15.8K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

132.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,234 RON 5,837

$595 ฿19.9K

107.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.57

22.08%

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

Last update for Cluj-Napoca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cluj-Napoca

$524 37.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 41.9% $219

Groceries & Markets

Cluj-Napoca

$234 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 1.6% $3.8

Eating Out

Cluj-Napoca

$218 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 63.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cluj-Napoca

$172 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 44.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cluj-Napoca

$155 11%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 29.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Cluj-Napoca

$65 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 20.8% $13

Getting Around

Cluj-Napoca

$39 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 57.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $622 in Cluj-Napoca versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 107% higher in Cluj-Napoca, 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 $55.0 in Cluj-Napoca versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Cluj-Napoca vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Cluj-Napoca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

03:30 3:30 AM

4 h ahead of Cluj-Napoca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

324,576

127,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cluj-Napoca Chiang Mai 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cluj-Napoca
Chiang Mai

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

Cluj-Napoca vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cluj-Napoca costs about 50% 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 $2,109 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. 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 $587 per month in Cluj-Napoca and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Cluj-Napoca – 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 $938, than in Cluj-Napoca at $1,406. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cluj-Napoca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,406 in Cluj-Napoca. 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, Cluj-Napoca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.