Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ialoveni and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ialoveni: $804 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Ialoveni
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Ialoveni Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ialoveni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$804

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $804 per month in Ialoveni vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ialoveni $804
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,296 per month in Ialoveni vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ialoveni $1,296
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,789 per month in Ialoveni vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ialoveni $1,789
Chiang Mai $1,999

Ialoveni is about 14% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ialoveni and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ialoveni 41% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 MDL 151

$2.13 ฿71.8

297.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.37 MDL 522

$18.62 ฿626

57.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 MDL 186

$5.60 ฿188

86.96%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MDL 39.81

$1.66 ฿55.9

34.94%

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

$1.25 MDL 22.25

$0.65 ฿21.75

92.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MDL 14.26

$0.30 ฿10.25

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MDL 38.57

$2.32 ฿78.1

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MDL 40.23

$3.67 ฿123

-38.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 MDL 22.46

$2.02 ฿67.8

-37.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MDL 12.21

$1.41 ฿47.34

-51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 MDL 12.23

$1.39 ฿46.79

-50.36%

Eggs

$2.74 MDL 48.75

$2.37 ฿79.6

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 MDL 120

$16.52 ฿555

-59.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 MDL 88.4

$2.67 ฿89.8

86.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.72 MDL 83.8

$9.02 ฿303

-47.67%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 MDL 17.31

$2.40 ฿80.6

-59.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MDL 34.32

$1.04 ฿35.01

85.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MDL 36.33

$1.66 ฿55.8

22.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 MDL 42.27

$1.56 ฿52.4

52.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 MDL 13.67

$1.24 ฿41.61

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 MDL 9.34

$1.09 ฿36.53

-51.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MDL 24.11

$0.76 ฿25.61

78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.67

$0.51 ฿17.29

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 MDL 61.2

$4.12 ฿139

-16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 MDL 87.8

$17.93 ฿603

-72.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MDL 22.68

$1.62 ฿54.6

-20.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MDL 34.57

$2.82 ฿94.9

-31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 MDL 5.65

$0.93 ฿31.42

-65.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.61 MDL 118

$52.9 ฿1,778

-87.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 MDL 40.25

$1.18 ฿39.56

91.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MDL 4.63

$0.17 ฿5.76

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 MDL 89.0

$1.81 ฿60.9

176.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MDL 28.75

$1.47 ฿49.51

10.20%

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

$29.1K MDL 516.6K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

38.29%

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

$24.3K MDL 431.9K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-8.38%

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

$188 MDL 3,341

$62.6 ฿2,103

200.38%

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

$9.34 MDL 166

$11.60 ฿390

-19.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.10 MDL 197

$20.30 ฿683

-45.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.30 MDL 503

$37.88 ฿1,274

-25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.21 MDL 199

$3.70 ฿124

202.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 MDL 130

$6.51 ฿219

12.44%

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

$112 MDL 1,996

$727 ฿24.4K

-84.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,209 MDL 92.6K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-68.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.96 MDL 782

$53.5 ฿1,800

-17.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 MDL 498

$24.80 ฿834

13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 MDL 1,509

$90.4 ฿3,039

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 MDL 1,664

$72.0 ฿2,420

30.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 MDL 2,982

$481 ฿16.2K

-65.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 MDL 1,981

$310 ฿10.4K

-64.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 MDL 6,428

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-65.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 MDL 6,532

$659 ฿22.1K

-44.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 MDL 10.4K

$595 ฿20.0K

-1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Ialoveni: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ialoveni

$208 25.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 54.7% $114

Groceries & Markets

Ialoveni

$168 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 41% $69

Eating Out

Ialoveni

$150 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 48.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Ialoveni

$113 14%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 3.9% $4.4

Accommodation & Living

Ialoveni

$111 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 178% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Ialoveni

$43 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 18.6% $8

Getting Around

Ialoveni

$11 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 412% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $168 in Ialoveni 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Ialoveni versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $168 in Ialoveni vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Ialoveni wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Ialoveni

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

02:38 2:38 AM

5 h ahead of Ialoveni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,300

127,240

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.62 USD

100 MDL = 5 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 17.78 MDL (100 MDL = 5.62 USD). 1 EUR = 20.02 MDL (100 MDL = 5 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).

USD to MDL in detail →

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Between locations

Ialoveni Chiang Mai 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ialoveni
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Ialoveni, 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 $1,206 per month in Ialoveni 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 Ialoveni, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $168 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $112 per month in Ialoveni and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $804 in Ialoveni and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ialoveni – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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