Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibiu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,112 in Sibiu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Sibiu
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Sibiu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sibiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,112

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Sibiu vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sibiu $1,112
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Sibiu vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sibiu $1,654
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,197 per month in Sibiu vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sibiu $2,197
Chiang Mai $1,903

Sibiu costs about 20% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sibiu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sibiu 18% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 RON 40.21

$2.29 ฿76.5

271.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.33 RON 200

$19.64 ฿656

115.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.37

$5.61 ฿188

33.33%

Cappuccino

$3.27 RON 15.48

$1.66 ฿55.6

96.99%

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

$2.01 RON 9.50

$0.70 ฿23.40

187.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 RON 8.33

$0.31 ฿10.24

467.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 RON 14.60

$2.41 ฿80.4

28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 RON 18.31

$3.71 ฿124

4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 RON 6.78

$1.95 ฿65.3

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 RON 5.40

$1.41 ฿47.03

-19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.43

$1.31 ฿43.62

3.82%

Eggs

$3.47 RON 16.41

$2.18 ฿72.9

59.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 RON 37.60

$16.65 ฿556

-52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 RON 27.73

$2.76 ฿92.2

112.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.04 RON 38.05

$9.11 ฿304

-11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 RON 5.44

$2.39 ฿80.0

-51.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.43

$1.03 ฿34.26

52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.80

$1.63 ฿54.4

-11.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.02

$1.50 ฿50.0

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.13

$1.29 ฿43.13

-48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 RON 2.84

$1.11 ฿37.03

-45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 RON 4.68

$0.72 ฿24.08

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RON 4.03

$0.53 ฿17.59

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 RON 27.92

$4.31 ฿144

36.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 RON 35.28

$17.95 ฿600

-58.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.36

$1.58 ฿52.9

-41.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.61

$2.84 ฿95.0

-50.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 RON 3.34

$0.86 ฿28.86

-17.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.14 RON 81.1

$53.3 ฿1,780

-67.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 RON 4.28

$1.21 ฿40.29

-24.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$0.57 ฿18.99

40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 RON 39.00

$2.35 ฿78.6

250.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 RON 9.19

$1.44 ฿47.96

34.72%

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

$28.8K RON 136.4K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

39.06%

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

$25.6K RON 121.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-4.46%

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

$117 RON 551

$62.3 ฿2,083

86.99%

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

$9.07 RON 42.90

$12.11 ฿405

-25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.40 RON 58.7

$19.94 ฿666

-37.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.35 RON 167

$37.07 ฿1,239

-4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 RON 68.5

$3.78 ฿126

283.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 RON 32.04

$6.50 ฿217

4.15%

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

$449 RON 2,123

$793 ฿26.5K

-43.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 RON 31.7K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-54.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 RON 353

$53.7 ฿1,796

38.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.65 RON 150

$24.62 ฿823

28.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 RON 413

$90.9 ฿3,036

-3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 RON 416

$71.1 ฿2,378

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 RON 2,131

$455 ฿15.2K

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 RON 1,938

$298 ฿9,954

37.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 RON 3,960

$908 ฿30.4K

-7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 RON 2,867

$554 ฿18.5K

9.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,501 RON 11.8K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

29.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,022 RON 9,566

$1,445 ฿48.3K

39.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 RON 5,257

$591 ฿19.7K

88.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.02

5.57

26.03%

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

Last update for Sibiu: 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

Sibiu

$410 36.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 27.3% $112

Groceries & Markets

Sibiu

$196 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 20.4% $40

Eating Out

Sibiu

$168 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 53.2% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibiu

$138 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 31.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Sibiu

$127 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sibiu

$49 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 2.4% $1.2

Getting Around

Sibiu

$25 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 144% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Sibiu 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 88% higher in Sibiu, 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 $42.00 in Sibiu versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Sibiu vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Sibiu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Sibiu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

4 h ahead of Sibiu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,245

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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Between locations

Sibiu Chiang Mai 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibiu
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

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

Sibiu costs about 20% 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 $1,668 per month in Sibiu 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 $449 per month in Sibiu 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 20% cheaper in Sibiu – 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 Sibiu at $1,112. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sibiu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,112 in Sibiu. 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, Sibiu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.