Cost of Living Comparison Between Acquarossa and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Acquarossa and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,649 in Acquarossa versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,668 in Acquarossa versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,686 in Acquarossa versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Acquarossa is roughly 285% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acquarossa is 166% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.74 CHF 29.87

$2.08 ฿69.2

1666.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 120

$19.64 ฿651

649.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.75 CHF 15.24

$5.65 ฿188

231.86%

Cappuccino

$7.29 CHF 5.93

$1.81 ฿59.9

302.76%

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

$6.06 CHF 4.93

$0.71 ฿23.66

753.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 CHF 4.51

$0.32 ฿10.48

1631.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.01 CHF 8.14

$2.24 ฿74.2

346.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 CHF 6.99

$3.63 ฿121

136.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$1.96 ฿65.0

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 CHF 3.17

$1.50 ฿49.83

160.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.11

$1.34 ฿44.32

185.07%

Eggs

$8.84 CHF 7.19

$2.26 ฿75.1

291.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.55 CHF 22.40

$16.26 ฿539

69.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.86 CHF 22.65

$2.95 ฿98.0

844.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$62.2 CHF 50.6

$9.94 ฿330

525.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.40

$2.57 ฿85.3

62.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 CHF 2.39

$1.06 ฿35.04

176.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.93

$1.61 ฿53.5

123.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 CHF 3.98

$1.52 ฿50.4

221.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.11

$1.27 ฿42.14

104.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.07 ฿35.37

114.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.04

$0.72 ฿23.89

248.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.04

$0.51 ฿16.87

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 CHF 9.06

$4.19 ฿139

165.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 CHF 11.09

$17.87 ฿593

-23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.26

$1.69 ฿56.2

64.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.66

$2.84 ฿94.1

15.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 CHF 3.35

$0.93 ฿30.70

344.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 CHF 94.3

$53.9 ฿1,787

115.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 CHF 6.59

$1.23 ฿40.95

559.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.72

$0.58 ฿19.13

689.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.6 CHF 73.7

$2.42 ฿80.4

3645.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.41 ฿46.84

63.83%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.4K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

86.07%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

49.82%

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

$291 CHF 237

$63.7 ฿2,112

357.12%

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

$39.55 CHF 32.16

$12.85 ฿426

207.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 46.77

$20.22 ฿671

184.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 CHF 66.7

$38.74 ฿1,285

111.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.73 CHF 33.12

$3.97 ฿132

925.94%

Cinema Ticket

$25.17 CHF 20.47

$6.74 ฿223

273.44%

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

$3,674 CHF 2,987

$778 ฿25.8K

372.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.0K CHF 35.8K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

201.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$54.3 ฿1,801

166.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 49.79

$25.45 ฿844

140.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 CHF 138

$94.3 ฿3,129

80.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$266 CHF 216

$73.4 ฿2,436

261.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 CHF 1,429

$490 ฿16.2K

258.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 CHF 1,040

$289 ฿9,596

342.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,757 CHF 2,242

$894 ฿29.6K

208.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 CHF 2,012

$517 ฿17.1K

378.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K CHF 14.2K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

794.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,755

$1,477 ฿49.0K

712.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$602 ฿20.0K

1967.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

5.57

-62.84%

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

Last update for Acquarossa: August 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Acquarossa and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 1967% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $147 in Acquarossa vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $683 vs $240 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 285% lower than in Acquarossa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1967% higher in Acquarossa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,757 in Acquarossa versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $147 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $3,649 in Acquarossa, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Acquarossa. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $947 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Acquarossa and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 285% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.