Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubasari and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubasari: $643 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Dubasari
🇲🇩 Moldova
$643
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Dubasari vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Dubasari $643
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $955 per month in Dubasari vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Dubasari $955
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,266 per month in Dubasari vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Dubasari $1,266
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Dubasari is about 30% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dubasari and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Dubasari 53% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.15 MDL 145
$2.29 ฿76.5
255.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.87 MDL 530
$19.64 ฿656
52.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.62 MDL 189
$5.61 ฿188
89.30%
Cappuccino
$1.71 MDL 30.43
$1.66 ฿55.6
3.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 MDL 18.68
$0.70 ฿23.40
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 MDL 11.46
$0.31 ฿10.24
109.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.97 MDL 35.00
$2.41 ฿80.4
-18.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 MDL 39.99
$3.71 ฿124
-39.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 MDL 21.55
$1.95 ฿65.3
-37.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.46 MDL 8.18
$1.41 ฿47.03
-67.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 MDL 27.52
$1.31 ฿43.62
18.32%
Eggs
$2.16 MDL 38.43
$2.18 ฿72.9
-0.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.81 MDL 121
$16.65 ฿556
-59.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.68 MDL 83.1
$2.76 ฿92.2
69.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.03 MDL 107
$9.11 ฿304
-33.81%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 MDL 18.28
$2.39 ฿80.0
-56.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 MDL 38.65
$1.03 ฿34.26
111.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 MDL 31.84
$1.63 ฿54.4
9.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 MDL 40.00
$1.50 ฿50.0
50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.78 MDL 13.80
$1.29 ฿43.13
-39.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 MDL 8.52
$1.11 ฿37.03
-56.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 MDL 8.33
$0.72 ฿24.08
-34.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 MDL 9.74
$0.53 ฿17.59
3.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.32 MDL 59.0
$4.31 ฿144
-22.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.59 MDL 81.5
$17.95 ฿600
-74.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 MDL 25.48
$1.58 ฿52.9
-9.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 MDL 35.21
$2.84 ฿95.0
-30.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.86 ฿28.86
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$53.3 ฿1,780
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.81 MDL 49.83
$1.21 ฿40.29
132.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.26 MDL 4.63
$0.57 ฿18.99
-54.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.43 MDL 96.4
$2.35 ฿78.6
131.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 MDL 28.33
$1.44 ฿47.96
11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K MDL 601.9K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
63.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K MDL 431.3K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
-9.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 MDL 3,982
$62.3 ฿2,083
259.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.97 MDL 142
$12.11 ฿405
-34.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.29 MDL 201
$19.94 ฿666
-43.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$11.30 MDL 201
$37.07 ฿1,239
-69.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.78 ฿126
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 MDL 135
$6.50 ฿217
16.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$112 MDL 1,981
$793 ฿26.5K
-85.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,164 MDL 91.7K
$14.8K ฿494.9K
-65.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.34 MDL 787
$53.7 ฿1,796
-17.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$24.62 ฿823
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.6 MDL 1,005
$90.9 ฿3,036
-37.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.8 MDL 902
$71.1 ฿2,378
-28.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$455 ฿15.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$298 ฿9,954
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$908 ฿30.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$554 ฿18.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,931 ฿64.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,445 ฿48.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubasari
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$591 ฿19.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
5.57
43.63%

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

Last update for Dubasari: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubasari
$243
Chiang Mai
$94 61.2% $149
Groceries & Markets
Dubasari
$162
Chiang Mai
$235 45.2% $73
Eating Out
Dubasari
$139
Chiang Mai
$79 43.4% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Dubasari
$68 *
Chiang Mai
$108 58.4% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Dubasari
$26
Chiang Mai
$50 89.3% $24
Getting Around
Dubasari
$4.1 *
Chiang Mai
$61 1379% $57
Accommodation & Living
Dubasari
- *
Chiang Mai
$298

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Dubasari versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $162 in Dubasari vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Dubasari wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇩 Dubasari
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
16:23 4:23 PM
20:23 8:23 PM
4 h ahead of Dubasari
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,254
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubasari Chiang Mai 6,980 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubasari
  • 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
Dubasari vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dubasari or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Dubasari, 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 Dubasari and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Dubasari and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Dubasari and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Dubasari and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Dubasari or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 45% 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.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Dubasari or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dubasari, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Dubasari it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Dubasari or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dubasari costs $643 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Dubasari compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Dubasari or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Dubasari. 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.

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