Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Satu Mare and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Satu Mare and in Chiang Mai: $930 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$930

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $930 per month in Satu Mare vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Satu Mare $930
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,406 per month in Satu Mare vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Satu Mare $1,406
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,883 per month in Satu Mare vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Satu Mare $1,883
Chiang Mai $1,903

Satu Mare and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Satu Mare and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Satu Mare 31% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 RON 38.81

$2.29 ฿76.5

258.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.51 RON 154

$19.64 ฿656

65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 RON 30.67

$5.61 ฿188

15.51%

Cappuccino

$2.50 RON 11.81

$1.66 ฿55.6

50.60%

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

$1.49 RON 7.04

$0.70 ฿23.40

112.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 RON 6.07

$0.31 ฿10.24

312.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 RON 8.87

$2.41 ฿80.4

-22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 RON 11.55

$3.71 ฿124

-34.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 RON 5.33

$1.95 ฿65.3

-42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 RON 5.04

$1.41 ฿47.03

-24.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 RON 5.36

$1.31 ฿43.62

-13.74%

Eggs

$2.69 RON 12.71

$2.18 ฿72.9

23.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 RON 34.79

$16.65 ฿556

-55.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 RON 35.63

$2.76 ฿92.2

172.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 RON 51.2

$9.11 ฿304

18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.19

$2.39 ฿80.0

-53.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 RON 6.15

$1.03 ฿34.26

26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 RON 6.04

$1.63 ฿54.4

-21.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.75

$1.50 ฿50.0

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 RON 5.61

$1.29 ฿43.13

-7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 RON 6.48

$1.11 ฿37.03

23.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$0.72 ฿24.08

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.34

$0.53 ฿17.59

33.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 RON 26.38

$4.31 ฿144

29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 RON 29.29

$17.95 ฿600

-65.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$1.58 ฿52.9

-22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 RON 8.06

$2.84 ฿95.0

-40.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 RON 2.56

$0.86 ฿28.86

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.41 RON 111

$53.3 ฿1,780

-56.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.21 ฿40.29

-33.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$0.57 ฿18.99

49.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 RON 38.34

$2.35 ฿78.6

244.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 RON 7.47

$1.44 ฿47.96

9.72%

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

$22.8K RON 107.9K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

9.96%

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

$25.3K RON 119.5K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-5.75%

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

$126 RON 597

$62.3 ฿2,083

102.36%

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

$7.14 RON 33.79

$12.11 ฿405

-41.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.25 RON 34.30

$19.94 ฿666

-63.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 RON 197

$37.07 ฿1,239

12.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.68 RON 50.5

$3.78 ฿126

182.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 RON 29.29

$6.50 ฿217

-4.77%

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

$155 RON 733

$793 ฿26.5K

-80.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,829 RON 18.1K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-74.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 RON 282

$53.7 ฿1,796

10.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.51 RON 135

$24.62 ฿823

15.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 RON 405

$90.9 ฿3,036

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 RON 328

$71.1 ฿2,378

-2.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 RON 1,524

$455 ฿15.2K

-29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 RON 1,229

$298 ฿9,954

-12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 RON 3,060

$908 ฿30.4K

-28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 RON 1,938

$554 ฿18.5K

-26.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 RON 4,765

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-47.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,056 RON 4,995

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-26.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 RON 3,075

$591 ฿19.7K

9.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

5.57

26.57%

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

Last update for Satu Mare: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Satu Mare

$260 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 14.7% $38

Groceries & Markets

Satu Mare

$195 21%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 20.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Satu Mare

$141 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 32.8% $46

Eating Out

Satu Mare

$140 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 44% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Satu Mare

$109 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 1.1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Satu Mare

$54 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7.2% $3.9

Getting Around

Satu Mare

$31 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 98.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $322 in Satu Mare 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 10% higher in Satu Mare. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Satu Mare versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Satu Mare vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Satu Mare wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

05:45 5:45 AM

4 h ahead of Satu Mare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,411

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 23, 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 23, 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

Satu Mare Chiang Mai 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Satu Mare
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

Satu Mare vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,394 per month in Satu Mare 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Satu Mare and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Satu Mare at $930. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Satu Mare it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $930 in Satu Mare. 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, Satu Mare makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.