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: $3,263 in Balzers versus $845 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,089 in Balzers versus $1,323 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,915 in Balzers versus $1,802 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Balzers is roughly 286% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balzers is 144% above, Chiang Mai is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.04 CHF 24.33

$1.95 ฿62.8

1491.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 97.1

$18.43 ฿594

571.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.90 CHF 17.17

$7.50 ฿241

192.00%

Cappuccino

$5.59 CHF 4.38

$1.93 ฿62.3

189.64%

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

$6.08 CHF 4.77

$0.78 ฿25.08

679.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CHF 4.47

$0.32 ฿10.42

1681.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 CHF 5.76

$2.15 ฿69.2

241.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 CHF 5.83

$3.71 ฿120

100.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 CHF 2.16

$1.71 ฿55.2

60.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$1.56 ฿50.3

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 CHF 2.20

$1.18 ฿38.06

137.29%

Eggs

$11.90 CHF 9.33

$1.98 ฿63.9

501.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.13 CHF 20.48

$16.04 ฿517

62.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.23 CHF 18.99

$3.17 ฿102

664.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 39.65

$10.94 ฿353

362.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.72

$2.63 ฿84.7

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.72 CHF 2.91

$1.17 ฿37.61

217.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$1.65 ฿53.0

149.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.07

$1.54 ฿49.51

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 1.99

$1.38 ฿44.34

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.66

$1.17 ฿37.54

80.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 CHF 1.66

$0.66 ฿21.25

221.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.30

$0.51 ฿16.55

225.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.14 CHF 9.52

$4.52 ฿146

168.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 CHF 11.27

$18.32 ฿590

-21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.60

$1.80 ฿57.9

13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CHF 1.37

$3.18 ฿102

-44.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 CHF 2.73

$0.90 ฿28.97

286.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 CHF 66.5

$19.00 ฿612

346.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 CHF 1.38

$1.41 ฿45.50

24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 CHF 6.97

$8.09 ฿261

9.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.72

$1.28 ฿41.08

71.09%

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

$34.8K CHF 27.3K

$21.3K ฿686.1K

63.53%

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

$33.4K CHF 26.2K

$21.7K ฿699.3K

53.95%

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

$216 CHF 170

$69.2 ฿2,230

212.64%

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

$40.66 CHF 31.88

$13.97 ฿450

191.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 CHF 57.6

$17.95 ฿578

309.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.0 CHF 73.7

$42.31 ฿1,363

122.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.87 CHF 19.50

$6.66 ฿214

273.42%

Cinema Ticket

$24.67 CHF 19.34

$5.92 ฿191

316.72%

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

$309 CHF 243

$299 ฿9,640

3.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,746 CHF 6,857

$14.8K ฿478.4K

-41.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 CHF 101

$56.2 ฿1,810

130.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 CHF 40.28

$26.94 ฿868

90.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$174 CHF 136

$84.9 ฿2,735

104.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$222 CHF 174

$71.8 ฿2,314

208.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CHF 775

$435 ฿14.0K

127.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 CHF 1,050

$240 ฿7,727

458.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,910 CHF 2,282

$798 ฿25.7K

264.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 CHF 1,882

$498 ฿16.1K

381.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.2K CHF 13.4K

$1,995 ฿64.3K

759.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,335 CHF 4,182

$1,532 ฿49.4K

248.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,302 CHF 7,293

$628 ฿20.2K

1380.78%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Balzers and $435 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 1381% 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: $124 in Balzers vs $18 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $620 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 286% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Balzers pays 1381% more on average, 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: $989 in Balzers versus $435 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 154% 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 $18.00 versus $124 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $845 in Chiang Mai versus $3,263 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 286% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.