Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iasi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,247 in Iasi, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Iasi
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Iasi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Iasi

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,247

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Iasi vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iasi $1,247
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,839 per month in Iasi vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iasi $1,839
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,431 per month in Iasi vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iasi $2,431
Chiang Mai $1,914

Iasi costs about 33% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iasi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Iasi 8% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.43 RON 49.33

$2.26 ฿75.4

361.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 RON 198

$19.18 ฿641

118.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 RON 32.22

$5.59 ฿187

21.82%

Cappuccino

$2.86 RON 13.55

$1.72 ฿57.6

66.28%

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

$2.20 RON 10.42

$0.64 ฿21.54

243.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 RON 8.68

$0.33 ฿11.18

454.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 RON 15.06

$2.36 ฿78.7

34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 RON 17.88

$3.90 ฿130

-3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 RON 7.44

$2.05 ฿68.6

-23.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.40 ฿46.70

-4.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 RON 9.47

$1.28 ฿42.89

56.25%

Eggs

$3.22 RON 15.22

$2.25 ฿75.3

43.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 RON 38.87

$16.94 ฿566

-51.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 RON 30.38

$2.74 ฿91.6

134.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 RON 47.89

$9.36 ฿313

8.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.27

$2.40 ฿80.3

-44.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.82

$1.01 ฿33.92

63.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.58

$1.61 ฿53.9

-0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 RON 9.73

$1.52 ฿50.7

35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$1.28 ฿42.90

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 RON 3.99

$1.11 ฿37.22

-24.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 RON 5.26

$0.72 ฿24.09

54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.69

$0.52 ฿17.54

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 RON 29.61

$4.33 ฿145

44.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.60 RON 31.23

$17.73 ฿593

-62.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.07

$1.63 ฿54.4

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 RON 9.68

$2.85 ฿95.3

-28.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.82

$0.85 ฿28.31

-4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.14 RON 128

$53.9 ฿1,801

-49.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 RON 3.86

$1.17 ฿39.18

-29.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 RON 4.09

$0.57 ฿19.00

50.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.31 RON 39.33

$2.37 ฿79.2

250.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 RON 9.05

$1.45 ฿48.32

31.72%

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

$28.7K RON 135.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

40.23%

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

$27.7K RON 131.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

4.65%

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

$179 RON 847

$62.3 ฿2,083

187.29%

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

$7.29 RON 34.47

$12.27 ฿410

-40.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.28 RON 39.19

$19.97 ฿668

-58.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 RON 209

$37.91 ฿1,267

16.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 RON 75.4

$3.76 ฿126

323.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.49 RON 40.15

$6.71 ฿224

26.53%

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

$413 RON 1,956

$797 ฿26.6K

-48.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,058 RON 33.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-52.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 RON 347

$53.3 ฿1,780

37.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.95 RON 180

$25.05 ฿837

51.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 RON 445

$91.6 ฿3,062

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 RON 429

$73.5 ฿2,455

23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 RON 2,561

$464 ฿15.5K

16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 RON 2,037

$305 ฿10.2K

41.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 RON 4,159

$915 ฿30.6K

-3.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 RON 3,121

$552 ฿18.5K

19.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,924 RON 13.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

52.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,902 RON 8,999

$1,438 ฿48.1K

32.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,126 RON 5,325

$595 ฿19.9K

89.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

5.57

28.90%

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

Last update for Iasi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iasi

$431 34.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 29.2% $126

Groceries & Markets

Iasi

$215 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 10.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iasi

$195 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 51.4% $100

Eating Out

Iasi

$178 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 55.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Iasi

$133 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 17.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Iasi

$61 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 16% $9.8

Getting Around

Iasi

$36 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 72.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Iasi versus $464 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 89% higher in Iasi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Iasi versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Iasi vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Iasi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Iasi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

4 h ahead of Iasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,422

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 19, 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 19, 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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Between locations

Iasi Chiang Mai 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Iasi
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

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

Iasi costs about 33% 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 $1,871 per month in Iasi and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $413 per month in Iasi and $797 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 11% cheaper in Iasi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Iasi at $1,247. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iasi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,247 in Iasi. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iasi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.