Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soroca and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Soroca: $391 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Soroca

🇲🇩 Moldova

$391

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $391 per month in Soroca vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Soroca $391
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $634 per month in Soroca vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Soroca $634
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $876 per month in Soroca vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Soroca $876
Chiang Mai $1,979

Soroca is about 58% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Soroca and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Soroca 71% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 MDL 199

$2.24 ฿75.7

395.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.66 MDL 405

$19.00 ฿642

19.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MDL 82.6

$5.55 ฿188

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$1.44 MDL 25.67

$1.67 ฿56.6

-13.77%

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

$0.76 MDL 13.56

$0.64 ฿21.56

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.75

$0.31 ฿10.32

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MDL 20.59

$2.36 ฿79.6

-51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.36

$3.66 ฿124

-61.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MDL 18.47

$1.95 ฿65.8

-47.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 MDL 6.37

$1.44 ฿48.51

-75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MDL 20.51

$1.33 ฿45.07

-13.53%

Eggs

$1.89 MDL 33.77

$2.28 ฿77.1

-17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 MDL 35.72

$0.97 ฿32.82

106.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 MDL 11.08

$1.28 ฿43.15

-51.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MDL 9.07

$0.49 ฿16.38

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 MDL 20.27

$1.16 ฿39.08

-2.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 MDL 31.22

$1.45 ฿48.93

20.69%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$20.8K MDL 372.7K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-22.63%

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

$59.5 MDL 1,064

$62.2 ฿2,100

-4.25%

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

$8.27 MDL 148

$12.17 ฿411

-32.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.10 MDL 234

$20.12 ฿680

-34.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.54 MDL 510

$37.31 ฿1,260

-23.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 MDL 61.5

$6.49 ฿219

-47.00%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.45 MDL 598

$53.4 ฿1,802

-37.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 MDL 607

$24.64 ฿832

37.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MDL 1,928

$91.5 ฿3,089

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.93 MDL 607

$71.9 ฿2,429

-52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 MDL 9,073

$590 ฿19.9K

-13.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Soroca: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Soroca

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 16% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $23 in Soroca versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $46 in Soroca vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Soroca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Soroca

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

5 h ahead of Soroca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,400

127,240

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Soroca Chiang Mai 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Soroca
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 139% more than Soroca, 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 $586 per month in Soroca and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $391 in Soroca and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Soroca about 58% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 410% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $391 in Soroca and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $391 in Soroca to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Soroca. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.