Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cugir and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Cugir: $866 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

Cugir, Romania
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cugir
🇷🇴 Romania
$866
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cugir 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 Cugir and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $866 per month in Cugir vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Cugir $866
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,273 per month in Cugir vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Cugir $1,273
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,680 per month in Cugir vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Cugir $1,680
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Cugir is about 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.71 RON 27.10
$2.13 ฿71.8
168.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.29 RON 101
$18.62 ฿626
14.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.28 RON 34.58
$5.60 ฿188
30.00%
Cappuccino
$1.50 RON 7.13
$1.66 ฿55.9
-9.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 RON 6.50
$0.65 ฿21.75
110.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.16 RON 5.51
$0.30 ฿10.25
286.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.43 RON 6.80
$2.32 ฿78.1
-38.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 RON 10.13
$3.67 ฿123
-41.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 RON 5.93
$2.02 ฿67.8
-38.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.19 RON 5.67
$1.41 ฿47.34
-15.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 RON 8.41
$1.39 ฿46.79
27.34%
Eggs
$2.66 RON 12.62
$2.37 ฿79.6
12.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 RON 34.65
$16.52 ฿555
-55.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.69 RON 22.25
$2.67 ฿89.8
75.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.39 RON 49.35
$9.02 ฿303
15.19%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 RON 7.91
$2.40 ฿80.6
-30.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 RON 8.43
$1.04 ฿35.01
70.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 RON 8.15
$1.66 ฿55.8
3.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.40 RON 6.64
$1.56 ฿52.4
-10.26%
Potato (1kg)
$0.80 RON 3.78
$1.24 ฿41.61
-35.48%
Onion (1kg)
$0.87 RON 4.12
$1.09 ฿36.53
-20.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 RON 5.70
$0.76 ฿25.61
57.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 RON 3.85
$0.51 ฿17.29
58.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 RON 24.76
$4.12 ฿139
26.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.75 RON 27.33
$17.93 ฿603
-67.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 RON 5.86
$1.62 ฿54.6
-24.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 RON 8.27
$2.82 ฿94.9
-38.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 RON 3.38
$0.93 ฿31.42
-23.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.52 RON 102
$52.9 ฿1,778
-59.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.54 RON 2.56
$1.18 ฿39.56
-54.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.54 RON 2.57
$0.17 ฿5.76
217.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.26 RON 24.99
$1.81 ฿60.9
190.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 RON 6.51
$1.47 ฿49.51
-6.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K RON 133.7K
$21.0K ฿706.4K
34.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K RON 119.8K
$26.5K ฿891.4K
-4.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$122 RON 580
$62.6 ฿2,103
95.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.30 RON 39.43
$11.60 ฿390
-28.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.09 RON 33.66
$20.30 ฿683
-65.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.70 RON 155
$37.88 ฿1,274
-13.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.90 RON 109
$3.70 ฿124
518.92%
Cinema Ticket
$5.28 RON 25.05
$6.51 ฿219
-18.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$156 RON 741
$727 ฿24.4K
-78.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,898 RON 18.5K
$16.6K ฿557.2K
-76.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.54 RON 150
$53.5 ฿1,800
-41.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$8.46 RON 40.18
$24.80 ฿834
-65.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.1 RON 333
$90.4 ฿3,039
-22.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.4 RON 349
$72.0 ฿2,420
2.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$420 RON 1,995
$481 ฿16.2K
-12.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$277 RON 1,315
$310 ฿10.4K
-10.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$684 RON 3,246
$1,058 ฿35.6K
-35.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$422 RON 2,005
$659 ฿22.1K
-35.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,155 RON 10.2K
$2,418 ฿81.3K
-10.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,188 RON 5,641
$1,609 ฿54.1K
-26.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cugir
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$531 RON 2,523
$595 ฿20.0K
-10.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.35
5.57
31.96%

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

Last update for Cugir: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cugir
$277
Chiang Mai
$310 11.9% $33
Groceries & Markets
Cugir
$191
Chiang Mai
$237 23.7% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cugir
$138
Chiang Mai
$94 31.3% $43
Eating Out
Cugir
$107
Chiang Mai
$77 28.5% $30
Clothing & Footwear
Cugir
$83
Chiang Mai
$108 31.2% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Cugir
$43
Chiang Mai
$51 17.7% $7.6
Getting Around
Cugir
$28
Chiang Mai
$59 112% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $420 in Cugir versus $481 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 12% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Cugir versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Cugir vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Cugir wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Cugir
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
22:39 10:39 PM
03:39 3:39 AM
5 h ahead of Cugir
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,780
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cugir Chiang Mai 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cugir
  • 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
Cugir vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cugir or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Cugir, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cugir and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,299 per month in Cugir and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cugir or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cugir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $420 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Cugir and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $156 per month in Cugir and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Cugir or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cugir – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Cugir or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Cugir. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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