Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roman and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Roman: $842 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Roman
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Roman Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Roman

🇷🇴 Romania

$842

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $842 per month in Roman vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roman $842
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,393 per month in Roman vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roman $1,393
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,944 per month in Roman vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Roman $1,944
Chiang Mai $1,999

Roman is about 10% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Roman and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Roman 38% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 RON 49.67

$2.13 ฿71.8

391.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 RON 157

$18.62 ฿626

77.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 RON 34.51

$5.60 ฿188

29.82%

Cappuccino

$2.54 RON 12.05

$1.66 ฿55.9

53.01%

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

$1.35 RON 6.40

$0.65 ฿21.75

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.93

$0.30 ฿10.25

246.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.16

$2.32 ฿78.1

-7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 RON 10.35

$3.67 ฿123

-40.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 RON 5.61

$2.02 ฿67.8

-41.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 RON 3.14

$1.41 ฿47.34

-53.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.81

$1.39 ฿46.79

2.88%

Eggs

$2.91 RON 13.82

$2.37 ฿79.6

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.85 RON 37.28

$16.52 ฿555

-52.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 RON 27.35

$2.67 ฿89.8

115.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.25 RON 39.18

$9.02 ฿303

-8.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$2.40 ฿80.6

-55.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 RON 7.10

$1.04 ฿35.01

43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.58

$1.66 ฿55.8

-16.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 RON 8.69

$1.56 ฿52.4

17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 RON 3.25

$1.24 ฿41.61

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.94

$1.09 ฿36.53

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 RON 3.86

$0.76 ฿25.61

6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 RON 3.45

$0.51 ฿17.29

43.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.32 RON 25.24

$4.12 ฿139

29.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 RON 25.56

$17.93 ฿603

-69.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 RON 4.55

$1.62 ฿54.6

-40.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.58

$2.82 ฿94.9

-58.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 RON 3.53

$0.93 ฿31.42

-20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.48 RON 97.3

$52.9 ฿1,778

-61.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 RON 3.11

$1.18 ฿39.56

-44.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 RON 3.08

$0.17 ฿5.76

282.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 RON 34.94

$1.81 ฿60.9

306.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 RON 8.65

$1.47 ฿49.51

23.81%

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

$28.3K RON 134.4K

$21.0K ฿706.4K

34.73%

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

$24.7K RON 117.5K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-6.67%

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

$147 RON 698

$62.6 ฿2,103

135.15%

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

$6.70 RON 31.82

$11.60 ฿390

-42.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.03 RON 38.14

$20.30 ฿683

-60.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.42 RON 178

$37.88 ฿1,274

-1.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 RON 81.8

$3.70 ฿124

365.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 RON 29.70

$6.51 ฿219

-3.84%

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

$290 RON 1,375

$727 ฿24.4K

-60.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,433 RON 30.5K

$16.6K ฿557.2K

-61.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 RON 456

$53.5 ฿1,800

79.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.20 RON 120

$24.80 ฿834

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 RON 292

$90.4 ฿3,039

-31.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 RON 277

$72.0 ฿2,420

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 RON 1,013

$481 ฿16.2K

-55.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 RON 754

$310 ฿10.4K

-48.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 RON 2,903

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 RON 2,179

$659 ฿22.1K

-30.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,818 RON 8,634

$2,418 ฿81.3K

-24.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 RON 7,212

$1,609 ฿54.1K

-5.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$828 RON 3,931

$595 ฿20.0K

39.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Roman: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Roman

$176 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 34.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roman

$162 19.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 41.6% $67

Eating Out

Roman

$161 19.1%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 52.3% $84

Accommodation & Living

Roman

$159 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 95.3% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Roman

$109 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Roman

$50 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 1.9% $1

Getting Around

Roman

$27 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 115% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Roman 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.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Roman, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Roman versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Roman vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Roman wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Roman

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

5 h ahead of Roman

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,328

127,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Roman Chiang Mai 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Roman
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Roman, 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 $1,264 per month in Roman 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 Roman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $213 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Roman 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 35% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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