Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zalau and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zalau: $871 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Zalau
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Zalau Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zalau

🇷🇴 Romania

$871

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $871 per month in Zalau vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zalau $871
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,330 per month in Zalau vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zalau $1,330
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,789 per month in Zalau vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zalau $1,789
Chiang Mai $1,999

Zalau is about 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zalau and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zalau 36% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 RON 35.65

$2.13 ฿71.6

250.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.98 RON 162

$18.62 ฿624

82.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 RON 25.46

$5.60 ฿188

-4.82%

Cappuccino

$2.12 RON 10.15

$1.66 ฿55.8

27.71%

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

$1.52 RON 7.25

$0.65 ฿21.69

133.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 RON 5.85

$0.30 ฿10.22

306.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 RON 7.90

$2.32 ฿77.9

-28.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 11.28

$3.67 ฿123

-35.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 RON 6.36

$2.02 ฿67.6

-34.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 RON 5.27

$1.41 ฿47.21

-21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.86

$1.39 ฿46.67

-11.51%

Eggs

$1.97 RON 9.44

$2.37 ฿79.4

-16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 RON 38.47

$16.52 ฿554

-51.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 RON 26.66

$2.67 ฿89.5

108.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 RON 49.07

$9.02 ฿302

13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 RON 4.15

$2.40 ฿80.4

-63.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 RON 6.04

$1.04 ฿34.91

21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.90

$1.66 ฿55.6

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 RON 8.67

$1.56 ฿52.3

16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 RON 3.14

$1.24 ฿41.50

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 RON 2.60

$1.09 ฿36.44

-50.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 RON 2.93

$0.76 ฿25.54

-19.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 RON 3.38

$0.51 ฿17.24

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 RON 24.22

$4.12 ฿138

23.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.27 RON 25.21

$17.93 ฿601

-70.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.90

$1.62 ฿54.4

-36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 RON 5.44

$2.82 ฿94.6

-59.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 RON 4.14

$0.93 ฿31.33

-6.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 RON 105

$52.9 ฿1,773

-58.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 RON 5.88

$1.18 ฿39.45

4.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 RON 5.85

$0.17 ฿5.75

617.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.42 RON 59.3

$1.81 ฿60.8

586.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.28

$1.47 ฿49.38

3.40%

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

$28.5K RON 136.2K

$21.0K ฿704.5K

35.58%

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

$25.4K RON 121.6K

$26.5K ฿889.1K

-4.09%

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

$102 RON 488

$62.6 ฿2,098

63.08%

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

$4.14 RON 19.77

$11.60 ฿389

-64.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.31 RON 30.14

$20.30 ฿681

-68.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 RON 157

$37.88 ฿1,270

-13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 RON 96.1

$3.70 ฿124

443.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 RON 25.56

$6.51 ฿218

-17.82%

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

$433 RON 2,067

$727 ฿24.4K

-40.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,275 RON 39.6K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 RON 246

$53.5 ฿1,795

-3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.85 RON 143

$24.80 ฿832

20.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.6 RON 275

$90.4 ฿3,031

-36.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 RON 302

$72.0 ฿2,413

-12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 RON 1,819

$481 ฿16.1K

-20.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 RON 1,372

$310 ฿10.4K

-7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 RON 2,933

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 RON 2,185

$659 ฿22.1K

-30.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 RON 9,128

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-21.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,369 RON 6,544

$1,609 ฿53.9K

-14.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$615 RON 2,938

$595 ฿19.9K

3.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.57

22.98%

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

Last update for Zalau: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zalau

$287 33%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 7.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Zalau

$179 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 32.4% $58

Eating Out

Zalau

$125 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 38.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zalau

$112 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 16% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Zalau

$91 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 19.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Zalau

$43 5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 17.2% $7.5

Getting Around

Zalau

$33 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 78.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $381 in Zalau 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 3% higher in Zalau, 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 $34 in Zalau versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $179 in Zalau vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Zalau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Zalau

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

00:21 12:21 AM

5 h ahead of Zalau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,202

127,240

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.186 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.37 RON (1 RON = 0.186 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zalau Chiang Mai 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Zalau
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Zalau, 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 $1,306 per month in Zalau 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 Zalau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $381 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Zalau 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 32% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.