Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balzers and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,201 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
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Balzers Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,201

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,201 in Balzers versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Balzers $3,201
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,015 in Balzers versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Balzers $5,015
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,828 in Balzers versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Balzers $6,828
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Balzers is roughly 242% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balzers is 135% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.80 CHF 24.67

$2.24 ฿75.5

1230.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$19.00 ฿640

543.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.58 CHF 17.87

$5.55 ฿187

288.83%

Cappuccino

$5.38 CHF 4.45

$1.67 ฿56.4

222.16%

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

$5.97 CHF 4.95

$0.64 ฿21.51

832.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 CHF 4.52

$0.31 ฿10.29

1658.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 CHF 5.93

$2.36 ฿79.5

203.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 CHF 6.18

$3.66 ฿123

103.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 CHF 2.27

$1.95 ฿65.7

40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 CHF 2.43

$1.44 ฿48.41

104.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.31

$1.33 ฿44.97

110.53%

Eggs

$11.95 CHF 9.89

$2.28 ฿77.0

424.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.34 CHF 20.98

$16.45 ฿554

54.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.48 CHF 19.44

$2.78 ฿93.8

744.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 41.90

$9.31 ฿314

443.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 CHF 2.82

$2.35 ฿79.3

45.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 3.02

$0.97 ฿32.75

275.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.38

$1.60 ฿53.8

155.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.15

$1.50 ฿50.6

72.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.95

$1.28 ฿43.06

83.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.10 ฿37.14

94.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 CHF 1.71

$0.71 ฿23.79

190.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.38

$0.49 ฿16.34

238.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 CHF 10.00

$4.14 ฿140

191.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 11.43

$17.52 ฿590

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CHF 1.67

$1.61 ฿54.4

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$2.78 ฿93.8

-38.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 CHF 2.90

$0.87 ฿29.27

303.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 CHF 67.2

$54.1 ฿1,823

50.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 CHF 1.44

$1.16 ฿39.00

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.90 CHF 4.88

$0.53 ฿17.78

1013.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.36 CHF 6.92

$2.42 ฿81.6

245.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.86

$1.45 ฿48.82

54.48%

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

$34.1K CHF 28.2K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

61.86%

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

$32.4K CHF 26.8K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

20.23%

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

$212 CHF 175

$62.2 ฿2,095

240.57%

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

$40.00 CHF 33.12

$12.17 ฿410

228.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 CHF 59.1

$20.12 ฿678

254.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 CHF 75.4

$37.31 ฿1,257

144.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.38 CHF 20.18

$3.77 ฿127

546.68%

Cinema Ticket

$24.13 CHF 19.98

$6.49 ฿219

271.80%

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

$298 CHF 247

$736 ฿24.8K

-59.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,878 CHF 7,350

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-39.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 CHF 106

$53.4 ฿1,799

138.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 CHF 41.72

$24.64 ฿830

104.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 144

$91.5 ฿3,083

90.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$218 CHF 180

$71.9 ฿2,424

202.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 CHF 817

$482 ฿16.3K

104.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 CHF 1,062

$309 ฿10.4K

315.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 CHF 2,371

$1,006 ฿33.9K

184.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 CHF 1,916

$633 ฿21.3K

265.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$2,363 ฿79.6K

591.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,142 CHF 4,257

$1,589 ฿53.6K

223.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,481 CHF 7,021

$590 ฿19.9K

1338.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

5.57

35.55%

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

Last update for Balzers: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balzers

$1.3K 40.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.9% $973

Groceries & Markets

Balzers

$610 19.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 61.6% $376

Eating Out

Balzers

$464 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 83.3% $387

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balzers

$323 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 70.8% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Balzers

$256 8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 57.6% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Balzers

$139 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 63.9% $89

Getting Around

Balzers

$126 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 51.5% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $987 in Balzers and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $122 in Balzers vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $610 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇮 Balzers

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

11:33 11:33 AM

6 h ahead of Balzers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,600

127,240

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Between locations

Balzers Chiang Mai 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Balzers
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

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

Chiang Mai is about 71% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Balzers is about 14 times higher, 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: $987 in Balzers versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Balzers. 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 $19 versus $122 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Balzers and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.