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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,209 in Balzers versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,056 in Balzers versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,903 in Balzers versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Balzers is roughly 276% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balzers is 141% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.46 CHF 24.78

$2.04 ฿68.4

1393.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.3

$18.71 ฿626

552.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.26 CHF 18.11

$7.86 ฿263

183.21%

Cappuccino

$5.58 CHF 4.54

$2.03 ฿67.9

174.88%

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

$6.29 CHF 5.11

$0.80 ฿26.71

686.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 CHF 4.48

$0.35 ฿11.71

1471.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 CHF 6.03

$2.14 ฿71.7

246.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 CHF 5.89

$3.67 ฿123

97.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CHF 2.26

$1.73 ฿57.8

60.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.46

$1.57 ฿52.5

92.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.33

$1.20 ฿40.10

138.33%

Eggs

$12.19 CHF 9.91

$1.97 ฿66.0

518.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.45 CHF 20.70

$16.23 ฿543

56.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.34 CHF 19.80

$3.06 ฿102

695.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$51.6 CHF 41.95

$10.80 ฿361

377.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.75

$2.77 ฿92.6

22.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.90 CHF 3.17

$1.17 ฿39.05

233.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.27

$1.71 ฿57.1

135.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.14

$1.59 ฿53.3

66.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$1.39 ฿46.63

71.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.74

$1.16 ฿38.67

84.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$0.66 ฿22.11

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.36

$0.52 ฿17.35

221.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.13 CHF 9.87

$4.65 ฿155

160.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CHF 11.21

$17.78 ฿595

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CHF 1.66

$1.79 ฿59.8

13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CHF 1.43

$3.34 ฿112

-47.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 CHF 2.94

$0.91 ฿30.35

296.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 CHF 69.1

$18.64 ฿624

356.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 CHF 1.42

$1.41 ฿47.17

24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 CHF 7.09

$8.11 ฿271

7.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$1.23 ฿41.27

78.86%

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

$35.4K CHF 28.8K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

64.95%

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

$33.3K CHF 27.1K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

52.60%

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

$215 CHF 175

$71.3 ฿2,386

201.23%

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

$39.40 CHF 32.05

$14.01 ฿469

181.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 CHF 58.9

$17.93 ฿600

303.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.6 CHF 76.1

$40.82 ฿1,365

129.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.67 CHF 20.07

$6.88 ฿230

258.58%

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.40

$5.72 ฿191

338.46%

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

$313 CHF 255

$308 ฿10.3K

1.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,839 CHF 7,190

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-39.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 CHF 103

$55.8 ฿1,865

127.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 CHF 43.24

$26.04 ฿871

104.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 CHF 145

$84.8 ฿2,837

109.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$222 CHF 181

$71.0 ฿2,375

212.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 CHF 819

$423 ฿14.2K

138.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 CHF 1,088

$242 ฿8,110

451.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,888 CHF 2,349

$797 ฿26.7K

262.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 CHF 1,958

$507 ฿17.0K

374.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.5K CHF 13.4K

$1,918 ฿64.2K

758.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,211 CHF 4,238

$1,464 ฿49.0K

255.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,837 CHF 7,188

$595 ฿19.9K

1385.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

51.00%

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

Last update for Balzers: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,007 in Balzers and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 1385% 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: $122 in Balzers vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $622 vs $244 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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 276% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1385% higher in Balzers, 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: $1,007 in Balzers versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 155% 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 $19.00 versus $122 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $3,209 in Balzers, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Balzers. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Balzers 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 276% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.