Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Giurgiu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,102 in Giurgiu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Giurgiu
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Giurgiu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Giurgiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,102

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Giurgiu vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Giurgiu $1,102
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,693 per month in Giurgiu vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Giurgiu $1,693
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,284 per month in Giurgiu vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Giurgiu $2,284
Chiang Mai $1,999

Giurgiu costs about 18% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Giurgiu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Giurgiu 18% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.21 RON 53.6

$2.13 ฿71.6

426.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 RON 252

$18.62 ฿624

182.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 RON 35.90

$5.60 ฿188

34.11%

Cappuccino

$3.69 RON 17.63

$1.66 ฿55.8

122.29%

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

$2.44 RON 11.66

$0.65 ฿21.69

275.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 RON 10.65

$0.30 ฿10.22

643.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 RON 14.96

$2.32 ฿77.9

34.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 RON 16.41

$3.67 ฿123

-6.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.67

$2.02 ฿67.6

-20.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.78

$1.41 ฿47.21

0.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 RON 8.07

$1.39 ฿46.67

21.58%

Eggs

$3.62 RON 17.28

$2.37 ฿79.4

52.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 RON 42.23

$16.52 ฿554

-46.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 RON 32.30

$2.67 ฿89.5

153.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 RON 61.1

$9.02 ฿302

41.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.19

$2.40 ฿80.4

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.43

$1.04 ฿34.91

49.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.59

$1.66 ฿55.6

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 RON 12.52

$1.56 ฿52.3

67.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.62

$1.24 ฿41.50

-38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.09 ฿36.44

-25.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RON 3.87

$0.76 ฿25.54

6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 RON 3.78

$0.51 ฿17.24

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.99 RON 28.63

$4.12 ฿138

45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 RON 35.73

$17.93 ฿601

-58.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.85

$1.62 ฿54.4

-24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 RON 8.46

$2.82 ฿94.6

-37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.63

$0.93 ฿31.33

-18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 RON 106

$52.9 ฿1,773

-57.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 RON 3.24

$1.18 ฿39.45

-42.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 RON 2.99

$0.17 ฿5.75

270.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 RON 30.41

$1.81 ฿60.8

251.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 RON 8.88

$1.47 ฿49.38

26.53%

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

$28.8K RON 137.8K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

37.23%

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

$25.7K RON 122.7K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

-3.16%

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

$181 RON 867

$62.6 ฿2,098

190.03%

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

$7.15 RON 34.17

$11.60 ฿389

-38.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 RON 42.66

$20.30 ฿681

-56.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.94 RON 205

$37.88 ฿1,270

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 RON 104

$3.70 ฿124

490.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 RON 44.17

$6.51 ฿218

41.94%

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

$444 RON 2,121

$727 ฿24.4K

-38.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,626 RON 36.5K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-53.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 RON 243

$53.5 ฿1,795

-5.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 RON 169

$24.80 ฿832

42.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 RON 364

$90.4 ฿3,031

-15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 RON 424

$72.0 ฿2,413

23.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 RON 1,602

$481 ฿16.1K

-30.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 RON 1,319

$310 ฿10.4K

-10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 RON 3,067

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 RON 2,061

$659 ฿22.1K

-34.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,909 RON 9,124

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-21.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,195 RON 5,712

$1,609 ฿53.9K

-25.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$897 RON 4,286

$595 ฿19.9K

50.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.23

5.57

29.80%

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

Last update for Giurgiu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Giurgiu

$276 25%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 12.3% $34

Groceries & Markets

Giurgiu

$228 20.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 4% $9

Eating Out

Giurgiu

$198 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 61.3% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Giurgiu

$198 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 52.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Giurgiu

$113 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 4.1% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Giurgiu

$61 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 17.1% $11

Getting Around

Giurgiu

$29 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 102% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Giurgiu 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 51% higher in Giurgiu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Giurgiu versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Giurgiu vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Giurgiu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Giurgiu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

5 h ahead of Giurgiu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,353

127,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.186 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.37 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Giurgiu Chiang Mai 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Giurgiu
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

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

Giurgiu costs about 18% 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 $1,653 per month in Giurgiu and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Giurgiu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $335 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $444 per month in Giurgiu and $727 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 4% cheaper in Giurgiu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,102 in Giurgiu and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,102 in Giurgiu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Giurgiu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.