Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ungheni and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ungheni: $653 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Ungheni
Learn more

Ungheni Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ungheni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$653

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $653 per month in Ungheni vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ungheni $653
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,023 per month in Ungheni vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ungheni $1,023
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,392 per month in Ungheni vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ungheni $1,392
Chiang Mai $1,903

Ungheni is about 29% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ungheni and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ungheni 52% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.41 MDL 132

$2.29 ฿76.5

223.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.63 MDL 402

$19.64 ฿656

15.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 MDL 123

$5.61 ฿188

22.99%

Cappuccino

$1.37 MDL 24.27

$1.66 ฿55.6

-17.47%

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

$0.74 MDL 13.15

$0.70 ฿23.40

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 MDL 7.60

$0.31 ฿10.24

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 MDL 18.33

$2.41 ฿80.4

-57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MDL 24.44

$3.71 ฿124

-62.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MDL 29.37

$1.95 ฿65.3

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.33 MDL 5.83

$1.41 ฿47.03

-76.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 MDL 15.24

$1.31 ฿43.62

-34.35%

Eggs

$1.90 MDL 33.80

$2.18 ฿72.9

-12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 MDL 177

$16.65 ฿556

-40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 MDL 71.3

$2.76 ฿92.2

45.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.29 MDL 147

$9.11 ฿304

-9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$0.43 MDL 7.66

$2.39 ฿80.0

-82.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MDL 22.49

$1.03 ฿34.26

23.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 MDL 18.80

$1.63 ฿54.4

-34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 MDL 20.21

$1.50 ฿50.0

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 MDL 8.21

$1.29 ฿43.13

-64.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 MDL 6.27

$1.11 ฿37.03

-68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 MDL 38.87

$0.72 ฿24.08

204.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MDL 14.72

$0.53 ฿17.59

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 60.3

$4.31 ฿144

-21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.09 MDL 72.6

$17.95 ฿600

-77.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MDL 25.04

$1.58 ฿52.9

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MDL 30.50

$2.84 ฿95.0

-39.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MDL 6.30

$0.86 ฿28.86

-59.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 MDL 28.96

$1.21 ฿40.29

34.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MDL 7.23

$0.57 ฿18.99

-28.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 MDL 66.1

$2.35 ฿78.6

58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MDL 25.77

$1.44 ฿47.96

0.69%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$20.3K MDL 359.8K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-24.41%

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

$139 MDL 2,473

$62.3 ฿2,083

123.39%

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

$11.16 MDL 198

$12.11 ฿405

-7.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.99 MDL 284

$19.94 ฿666

-19.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.18 MDL 252

$37.07 ฿1,239

-61.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 MDL 71.6

$6.50 ฿217

-38.00%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.18 MDL 838

$53.7 ฿1,796

-12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.56 MDL 294

$24.62 ฿823

-32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.02 MDL 586

$90.9 ฿3,036

-63.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 MDL 1,174

$71.1 ฿2,378

-7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 MDL 4,451

$455 ฿15.2K

-44.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 MDL 1,998

$298 ฿9,954

-62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 MDL 5,892

$908 ฿30.4K

-63.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 MDL 5,023

$554 ฿18.5K

-48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,254 MDL 40.0K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

16.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,708 MDL 30.3K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

18.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 MDL 9,791

$591 ฿19.7K

-6.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Ungheni: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ungheni

$166 25.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 43.3% $72

Groceries & Markets

Ungheni

$165 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 42.8% $71

Accommodation & Living

Ungheni

$113 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 165% $185

Eating Out

Ungheni

$109 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 27.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Ungheni

$73 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 47.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ungheni

$22 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 125% $28

Getting Around

Ungheni

$5.1 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1094% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Ungheni 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 7% 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 $23.00 in Ungheni versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $165 in Ungheni vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Ungheni wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Ungheni

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

4 h ahead of Ungheni

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 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 MDL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ungheni Chiang Mai 7,080 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ungheni
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 42% more than Ungheni, 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 $980 per month in Ungheni 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 Ungheni, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $653 in Ungheni and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 42%.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ungheni, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Ungheni it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ungheni costs $653 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Ungheni. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.