Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ploiesti and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,088 in Ploiesti, 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 Ploiesti
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Ploiesti Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ploiesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,088

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,088 per month in Ploiesti vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ploiesti $1,088
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,663 per month in Ploiesti vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ploiesti $1,663
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,238 per month in Ploiesti vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ploiesti $2,238
Chiang Mai $1,903

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

Both Ploiesti and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ploiesti 20% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 RON 54.8

$2.29 ฿76.5

406.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.97 RON 222

$19.64 ฿656

139.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 37.15

$5.61 ฿188

39.93%

Cappuccino

$2.97 RON 14.07

$1.66 ฿55.6

78.92%

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

$2.13 RON 10.07

$0.70 ฿23.40

204.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 RON 10.01

$0.31 ฿10.24

583.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 RON 11.81

$2.41 ฿80.4

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 RON 15.71

$3.71 ฿124

-10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.46

$1.95 ฿65.3

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 RON 5.54

$1.41 ฿47.03

-17.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 RON 7.11

$1.31 ฿43.62

14.50%

Eggs

$3.24 RON 15.31

$2.18 ฿72.9

48.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 RON 37.15

$16.65 ฿556

-52.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.60 RON 31.21

$2.76 ฿92.2

139.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 RON 43.90

$9.11 ฿304

1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.16

$2.39 ฿80.0

-45.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 RON 8.17

$1.03 ฿34.26

67.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 RON 6.55

$1.63 ฿54.4

-15.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 RON 9.47

$1.50 ฿50.0

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.71

$1.29 ฿43.13

-39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 RON 3.67

$1.11 ฿37.03

-29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.28

$0.72 ฿24.08

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 RON 3.68

$0.53 ฿17.59

47.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 RON 30.46

$4.31 ฿144

49.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 RON 31.58

$17.95 ฿600

-62.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.69

$1.58 ฿52.9

-37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.63

$2.84 ฿95.0

-50.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 RON 3.90

$0.86 ฿28.86

-4.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.31 RON 101

$53.3 ฿1,780

-60.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$1.21 ฿40.29

-48.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$0.57 ฿18.99

12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 RON 30.18

$2.35 ฿78.6

171.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 RON 8.77

$1.44 ฿47.96

28.47%

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

$28.8K RON 136.4K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

39.05%

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

$25.2K RON 119.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-6.09%

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

$167 RON 792

$62.3 ฿2,083

168.68%

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

$6.27 RON 29.67

$12.11 ฿405

-48.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.86 RON 41.91

$19.94 ฿666

-55.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.37 RON 205

$37.07 ฿1,239

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 RON 101

$3.78 ฿126

465.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 RON 40.98

$6.50 ฿217

33.23%

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

$399 RON 1,889

$793 ฿26.5K

-49.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,802 RON 27.5K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-60.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 RON 347

$53.7 ฿1,796

36.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.40 RON 201

$24.62 ฿823

72.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 RON 442

$90.9 ฿3,036

2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 RON 460

$71.1 ฿2,378

36.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 RON 1,990

$455 ฿15.2K

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 RON 1,371

$298 ฿9,954

-2.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 RON 2,685

$908 ฿30.4K

-37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 RON 2,170

$554 ฿18.5K

-17.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 RON 9,305

$1,931 ฿64.5K

1.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 RON 5,802

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-15.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$993 RON 4,698

$591 ฿19.7K

68.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.85

5.57

40.93%

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

Last update for Ploiesti: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ploiesti

$290 26.6%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 2.8% $8

Groceries & Markets

Ploiesti

$200 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 17.5% $35

Eating Out

Ploiesti

$188 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 58.2% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ploiesti

$183 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 48.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Ploiesti

$138 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 21.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Ploiesti

$61 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Ploiesti

$28 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 114% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti, 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 $47.00 in Ploiesti versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Ploiesti vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Ploiesti wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Ploiesti

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

4 h ahead of Ploiesti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

224,406

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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ploiesti Chiang Mai 7,220 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ploiesti
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

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

Ploiesti 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 $1,632 per month in Ploiesti 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 $399 per month in Ploiesti and $793 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 18% cheaper in Ploiesti – 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 $925, than in Ploiesti at $1,088. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ploiesti it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,088 in Ploiesti. 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, Ploiesti makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.