Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Deva and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Deva: $862 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Deva
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Deva Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Deva

🇷🇴 Romania

$862

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Deva vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Deva $862
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,338 per month in Deva vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Deva $1,338
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Deva vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Deva $1,814
Chiang Mai $1,903

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

Both Deva and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Deva 36% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 RON 32.20

$2.29 ฿76.5

197.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.08 RON 99.7

$19.64 ฿656

7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 RON 34.46

$5.61 ฿188

29.77%

Cappuccino

$1.71 RON 8.10

$1.66 ฿55.6

3.01%

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

$2.09 RON 9.89

$0.70 ฿23.40

198.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 RON 5.68

$0.31 ฿10.24

287.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 RON 6.13

$2.41 ฿80.4

-46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 RON 9.90

$3.71 ฿124

-43.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 RON 7.39

$1.95 ฿65.3

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 RON 6.03

$1.41 ฿47.03

-9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.21

$1.31 ฿43.62

-16.03%

Eggs

$3.18 RON 15.03

$2.18 ฿72.9

45.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 RON 36.91

$16.65 ฿556

-53.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 RON 25.05

$2.76 ฿92.2

91.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.12 RON 38.42

$9.11 ฿304

-10.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.49

$2.39 ฿80.0

-42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.52

$1.03 ฿34.26

33.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 RON 7.23

$1.63 ฿54.4

-6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 10.05

$1.50 ฿50.0

41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.37

$1.29 ฿43.13

-44.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.54

$1.11 ฿37.03

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$0.72 ฿24.08

18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 RON 4.05

$0.53 ฿17.59

62.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 RON 25.26

$4.31 ฿144

23.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 RON 34.98

$17.95 ฿600

-58.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.58 ฿52.9

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 RON 8.28

$2.84 ฿95.0

-38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 RON 2.67

$0.86 ฿28.86

-33.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.18 RON 152

$53.3 ฿1,780

-39.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 RON 3.74

$1.21 ฿40.29

-34.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 RON 3.12

$0.57 ฿18.99

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 RON 40.59

$2.35 ฿78.6

265.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.68

$1.44 ฿47.96

12.50%

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

$28.8K RON 136.1K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

38.75%

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

$24.7K RON 116.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-7.87%

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

$133 RON 631

$62.3 ฿2,083

114.12%

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

$8.71 RON 41.23

$12.11 ฿405

-28.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.54 RON 45.15

$19.94 ฿666

-52.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.18 RON 185

$37.07 ฿1,239

5.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.0 RON 251

$3.78 ฿126

1302.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 RON 29.70

$6.50 ฿217

-3.38%

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

$577 RON 2,731

$793 ฿26.5K

-27.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,789 RON 46.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-33.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 RON 326

$53.7 ฿1,796

28.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.86 RON 212

$24.62 ฿823

82.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 RON 402

$90.9 ฿3,036

-6.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 RON 351

$71.1 ฿2,378

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 RON 1,122

$455 ฿15.2K

-47.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 RON 871

$298 ฿9,954

-38.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 RON 1,892

$908 ฿30.4K

-55.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 RON 1,672

$554 ฿18.5K

-36.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,841 RON 22.9K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

150.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,476 RON 16.4K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

140.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,154 RON 5,458

$591 ฿19.7K

95.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.57

19.39%

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

Last update for Deva: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Deva

$193 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 22.1% $43

Accommodation & Living

Deva

$184 21.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 61.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Deva

$152 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 37.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Deva

$123 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 11.9% $15

Eating Out

Deva

$121 14%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 34.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Deva

$52 6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 3.2% $1.7

Getting Around

Deva

$39 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 57.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Deva versus $455 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 95% higher in Deva, 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 $21.00 in Deva versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Deva vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Deva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Deva

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

4 h ahead of Deva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,123

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 20, 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 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Deva Chiang Mai 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Deva
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

Deva vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Deva, 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 $1,294 per month in Deva and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Deva, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $577 per month in Deva and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Deva, where all-in costs run around $862, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Deva 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. Deva costs $862 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 Deva. 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.