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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,476 per month in Altstätten vs $950 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,340 per month in Altstätten vs $1,430 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,204 per month in Altstätten vs $1,909 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Altstätten costs about 266% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Altstätten sits 152% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.42 CHF 24.82

$2.10 ฿69.3

1348.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 100

$19.84 ฿656

518.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.73 CHF 15.28

$5.79 ฿191

223.49%

Cappuccino

$6.06 CHF 4.95

$1.83 ฿60.4

231.15%

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

$5.37 CHF 4.38

$0.78 ฿25.61

588.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.95

$0.31 ฿10.37

1461.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 CHF 7.34

$2.34 ฿77.2

284.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 CHF 6.16

$3.70 ฿122

103.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$2.03 ฿67.1

8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$1.60 ฿52.7

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.05

$1.42 ฿46.75

163.38%

Eggs

$7.88 CHF 6.43

$2.18 ฿71.9

261.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.34 CHF 21.50

$15.91 ฿526

65.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.99 CHF 22.84

$3.07 ฿102

811.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.69 CHF 34.02

$9.87 ฿326

322.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.86

$2.63 ฿86.8

33.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 CHF 1.64

$1.10 ฿36.19

82.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.28

$1.63 ฿53.8

71.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 CHF 4.06

$1.53 ฿50.6

225.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 CHF 1.55

$1.24 ฿41.13

53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$1.13 ฿37.37

96.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.86

$0.74 ฿24.38

206.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 CHF 1.08

$0.50 ฿16.48

164.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 CHF 9.06

$4.28 ฿141

159.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CHF 10.82

$17.97 ฿594

-26.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$1.70 ฿56.1

61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CHF 2.61

$2.90 ฿95.7

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 CHF 3.31

$0.94 ฿31.13

331.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 CHF 87.1

$55.3 ฿1,827

92.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 CHF 7.11

$1.23 ฿40.76

608.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.43

$0.53 ฿17.66

692.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.8 CHF 72.5

$2.40 ฿79.3

3600.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 CHF 1.61

$1.44 ฿47.55

37.50%

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

$46.8K CHF 38.2K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

121.01%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.0K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

25.45%

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

$315 CHF 257

$64.9 ฿2,145

384.55%

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

$30.15 CHF 24.60

$13.35 ฿441

125.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 CHF 54.0

$20.83 ฿688

217.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 CHF 82.0

$40.42 ฿1,336

148.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.16 CHF 37.67

$3.95 ฿131

1068.61%

Cinema Ticket

$23.47 CHF 19.15

$6.71 ฿222

249.78%

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

$3,112 CHF 2,540

$787 ฿26.0K

295.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K CHF 25.0K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

102.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 110

$56.2 ฿1,858

140.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 CHF 43.83

$24.95 ฿824

115.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 142

$92.7 ฿3,063

87.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$212 CHF 173

$75.1 ฿2,482

182.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CHF 1,615

$484 ฿16.0K

309.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 CHF 1,146

$287 ฿9,491

388.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 CHF 2,419

$910 ฿30.1K

225.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,428 CHF 1,981

$531 ฿17.5K

357.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 12.2K

$1,980 ฿65.4K

652.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.1K CHF 9,031

$1,451 ฿47.9K

662.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

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 Altstätten: September 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,979 in Altstätten versus $484 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Altstätten versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $598 vs $242 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 266%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,214 per month in Altstätten and $1,426 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,476 in Altstätten and $950 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $950, than in Altstätten at $3,476. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.