Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pitesti and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,284 in Pitesti, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Pitesti
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Pitesti Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Pitesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,284

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,284 per month in Pitesti vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pitesti $1,284
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,958 per month in Pitesti vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pitesti $1,958
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Pitesti vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Pitesti $2,632
Chiang Mai $1,903

Pitesti costs about 39% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pitesti and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Pitesti 5% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.65 RON 74.1

$2.29 ฿76.5

583.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 RON 299

$19.64 ฿656

222.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 RON 32.25

$5.61 ฿188

21.57%

Cappuccino

$2.56 RON 12.13

$1.66 ฿55.6

54.22%

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

$2.18 RON 10.34

$0.70 ฿23.40

211.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 RON 7.21

$0.31 ฿10.24

390.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 RON 12.22

$2.41 ฿80.4

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 RON 9.77

$3.71 ฿124

-44.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 8.18

$1.95 ฿65.3

-11.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.41 ฿47.03

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.72

$1.31 ฿43.62

24.43%

Eggs

$3.19 RON 15.11

$2.18 ฿72.9

46.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 RON 48.92

$16.65 ฿556

-37.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 RON 29.64

$2.76 ฿92.2

126.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 RON 64.9

$9.11 ฿304

50.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.77

$2.39 ฿80.0

-31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 RON 7.54

$1.03 ฿34.26

54.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 RON 7.84

$1.63 ฿54.4

1.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 RON 18.82

$1.50 ฿50.0

165.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.37

$1.29 ฿43.13

-12.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.30

$1.11 ฿37.03

19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 RON 8.16

$0.72 ฿24.08

138.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.68

$0.53 ฿17.59

47.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 RON 29.67

$4.31 ฿144

45.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 RON 28.50

$17.95 ฿600

-66.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.59

$1.58 ฿52.9

-38.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.84 ฿95.0

-33.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 RON 3.59

$0.86 ฿28.86

-11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.28 RON 110

$53.3 ฿1,780

-56.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 RON 4.43

$1.21 ฿40.29

-22.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 RON 4.84

$0.57 ฿18.99

78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 RON 30.74

$2.35 ฿78.6

176.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 8.18

$1.44 ฿47.96

20.14%

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

$24.0K RON 113.7K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

15.91%

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

$27.4K RON 129.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

2.34%

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

$184 RON 873

$62.3 ฿2,083

195.91%

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

$7.92 RON 37.47

$12.11 ฿405

-34.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.57 RON 59.5

$19.94 ฿666

-36.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 RON 210

$37.07 ฿1,239

19.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 RON 95.4

$3.78 ฿126

433.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 RON 39.29

$6.50 ฿217

27.69%

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

$418 RON 1,977

$793 ฿26.5K

-47.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,079 RON 9,837

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-85.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 RON 531

$53.7 ฿1,796

108.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.41 RON 205

$24.62 ฿823

76.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 RON 563

$90.9 ฿3,036

30.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 RON 825

$71.1 ฿2,378

145.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 RON 2,457

$455 ฿15.2K

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 RON 1,595

$298 ฿9,954

13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 RON 3,494

$908 ฿30.4K

-18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 RON 2,142

$554 ฿18.5K

-18.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,702 RON 8,051

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-11.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,242 RON 5,876

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-14.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$992 RON 4,695

$591 ฿19.7K

67.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

5.57

44.88%

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

Last update for Pitesti: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pitesti

$337 26.3%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 11.7% $39

Groceries & Markets

Pitesti

$239 18.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 1.3% $3.2

Eating Out

Pitesti

$208 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 62.3% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pitesti

$205 16%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 53.9% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Pitesti

$202 15.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 46.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Pitesti

$61 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 17.9% $11

Getting Around

Pitesti

$32 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 87.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Pitesti versus $455 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 68% higher in Pitesti, 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 $63.0 in Pitesti versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Pitesti

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

18:38 6:38 PM

4 h ahead of Pitesti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,383

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 20, 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 20, 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 →

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Between locations

Pitesti Chiang Mai 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Pitesti
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

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

Pitesti costs about 39% 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 $1,927 per month in Pitesti and $1,388 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 $418 per month in Pitesti and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Pitesti, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Pitesti at $1,284. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pitesti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,284 in Pitesti. 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, Pitesti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.