Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,740 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $33,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,740

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,740 per month in Altstätten vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Altstätten $3,740
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $5,258 per month in Altstätten vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Altstätten $5,258
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $6,776 per month in Altstätten vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Altstätten $6,776
Chiang Mai $1,999

Altstätten costs about 300% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Altstätten sits 177% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.38 CHF 24.85

$2.13 ฿71.2

1326.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 99.1

$18.62 ฿622

550.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 CHF 14.95

$5.60 ฿187

226.25%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 5.10

$1.66 ฿55.5

275.30%

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

$5.40 CHF 4.42

$0.65 ฿21.59

730.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 CHF 4.06

$0.30 ฿10.18

1553.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.56

$2.32 ฿77.5

298.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 CHF 6.13

$3.67 ฿122

104.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.79

$2.02 ฿67.3

8.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 CHF 2.97

$1.41 ฿47.00

157.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 CHF 3.02

$1.39 ฿46.46

165.47%

Eggs

$7.92 CHF 6.48

$2.37 ฿79.0

234.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.62 CHF 21.77

$16.52 ฿551

61.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.09 CHF 22.98

$2.67 ฿89.1

952.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.58 CHF 33.19

$9.02 ฿301

349.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.86

$2.40 ฿80.1

45.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.68

$1.04 ฿34.76

97.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.24

$1.66 ฿55.4

64.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.94

$1.56 ฿52.0

208.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 CHF 1.48

$1.24 ฿41.31

45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$1.09 ฿36.27

105.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 1.99

$0.76 ฿25.43

219.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 1.03

$0.51 ฿17.16

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 CHF 8.86

$4.12 ฿138

162.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 CHF 10.01

$17.93 ฿598

-31.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.31

$1.62 ฿54.2

74.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CHF 2.53

$2.82 ฿94.2

9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.53

$0.93 ฿31.19

364.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$52.9 ฿1,766

87.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 CHF 6.13

$1.18 ฿39.28

535.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.18 CHF 3.42

$0.17 ฿5.72

2358.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 CHF 59.4

$1.81 ฿60.5

3911.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.92

$1.47 ฿49.16

59.86%

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

$42.1K CHF 34.4K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

100.31%

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

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

$26.5K ฿885.1K

46.79%

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

$256 CHF 209

$62.6 ฿2,088

308.84%

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

$30.76 CHF 25.16

$11.60 ฿387

165.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 47.85

$20.30 ฿678

188.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 CHF 61.9

$37.88 ฿1,264

99.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.38 CHF 35.48

$3.70 ฿123

1072.43%

Cinema Ticket

$20.89 CHF 17.09

$6.51 ฿217

220.89%

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

$2,539 CHF 2,077

$727 ฿24.3K

249.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

$16.6K ฿553.2K

107.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 110

$53.5 ฿1,787

150.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 CHF 58.0

$24.80 ฿828

186.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 135

$90.4 ฿3,017

82.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 CHF 158

$72.0 ฿2,402

168.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 CHF 1,407

$481 ฿16.1K

257.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CHF 1,482

$310 ฿10.3K

484.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,810 CHF 2,298

$1,058 ฿35.3K

165.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 CHF 1,877

$659 ฿22.0K

248.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

$2,418 ฿80.7K

554.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,616

$1,609 ฿53.7K

630.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.03

5.57

-63.55%

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

Last update for Altstätten: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.8K 48.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 82.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$591 15.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 60% $354

Eating Out

Altstätten

$475 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 83.9% $399

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$345 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.6% $251

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$254 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 57.3% $145

Getting Around

Altstätten

$145 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 59.5% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$117 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 56.7% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,720 in Altstätten 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Altstätten versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $591 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

6 h ahead of Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

127,240

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.818 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.918 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Altstätten Chiang Mai 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Altstätten
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

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

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 300%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,610 per month in Altstätten 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,720 in Altstätten.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,740 in Altstätten and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 75% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,740 in Altstätten and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 75% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.