Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Chiang Mai

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

52

Cost of Living Index in Medias
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Medias Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Medias

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,102

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Medias $1,102
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,683 per month in Medias vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Medias $1,683
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,263 per month in Medias vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Medias $2,263
Chiang Mai $1,999

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

Both Medias and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Medias 19% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 RON 53.0

$2.13 ฿71.7

423.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 RON 246

$18.62 ฿625

177.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 RON 34.94

$5.60 ฿188

31.25%

Cappuccino

$3.70 RON 17.59

$1.66 ฿55.9

122.89%

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

$2.46 RON 11.68

$0.65 ฿21.73

278.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 RON 10.71

$0.30 ฿10.24

650.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 RON 15.20

$2.32 ฿78.0

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 RON 15.55

$3.67 ฿123

-10.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$2.02 ฿67.7

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 RON 6.77

$1.41 ฿47.29

1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 RON 8.24

$1.39 ฿46.75

24.46%

Eggs

$3.59 RON 17.05

$2.37 ฿79.5

51.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 RON 41.13

$16.52 ฿555

-47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 RON 31.82

$2.67 ฿89.7

150.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 RON 61.3

$9.02 ฿303

42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.02

$2.40 ฿80.6

-38.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.04

$1.04 ฿34.98

42.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RON 7.35

$1.66 ฿55.7

-6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 RON 12.28

$1.56 ฿52.4

65.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$1.24 ฿41.57

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 RON 3.57

$1.09 ฿36.50

-31.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.78

$0.76 ฿25.59

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.57

$0.51 ฿17.27

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.21 RON 29.50

$4.12 ฿138

50.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 RON 35.85

$17.93 ฿602

-57.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$1.62 ฿54.5

-24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 RON 8.56

$2.82 ฿94.8

-36.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 RON 3.32

$0.93 ฿31.39

-24.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.96 RON 114

$52.9 ฿1,777

-54.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 RON 3.14

$1.18 ฿39.52

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.23

$0.17 ฿5.76

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 RON 31.35

$1.81 ฿60.9

264.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 RON 6.56

$1.47 ฿49.47

-6.12%

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

$29.0K RON 137.9K

$21.0K ฿705.8K

38.09%

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

$25.2K RON 120.0K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-4.79%

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

$180 RON 857

$62.6 ฿2,101

188.32%

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

$7.25 RON 34.47

$11.60 ฿390

-37.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.26 RON 43.99

$20.30 ฿682

-54.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 RON 176

$37.88 ฿1,272

-2.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.31 RON 96.6

$3.70 ฿124

448.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.12 RON 29.10

$6.51 ฿219

-5.99%

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

$438 RON 2,082

$727 ฿24.4K

-39.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,770 RON 36.9K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

-53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 249

$53.5 ฿1,798

-2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 RON 169

$24.80 ฿833

43.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 RON 349

$90.4 ฿3,036

-18.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 RON 432

$72.0 ฿2,418

26.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 RON 1,850

$481 ฿16.2K

-19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 RON 1,389

$310 ฿10.4K

-5.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 RON 2,862

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 RON 2,152

$659 ฿22.1K

-31.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 RON 9,690

$2,418 ฿81.2K

-15.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,480 RON 7,036

$1,609 ฿54.0K

-7.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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 Medias: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medias

$292 26.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 6% $18

Groceries & Markets

Medias

$222 20.2%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 6.5% $15

Eating Out

Medias

$197 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 61.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medias

$197 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 52% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Medias

$113 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 4.6% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Medias

$49 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 3.3% $1.6

Getting Around

Medias

$31 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 90.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $389 in Medias 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 $52 in Medias versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Medias vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Medias wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Medias

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

5 h ahead of Medias

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,564

127,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4.75 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Medias Chiang Mai 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Medias
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

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

Medias 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 Medias 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 Medias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $389 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $438 per month in Medias 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 6% cheaper in Medias – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,102 in Medias 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 Medias. 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.