Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bern and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,337 in Bern, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Bern
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Bern Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bern

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,337

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,337 in Bern versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Bern $3,337
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,148 in Bern versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Bern $5,148
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,958 in Bern versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Bern $6,958
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Bern is roughly 256% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bern is 147% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.53 CHF 23.50

$2.26 ฿75.4

1162.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 98.3

$19.18 ฿641

522.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.35 CHF 12.64

$5.59 ฿187

174.60%

Cappuccino

$6.90 CHF 5.68

$1.72 ฿57.6

301.16%

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

$6.13 CHF 5.05

$0.64 ฿21.54

857.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 CHF 5.59

$0.33 ฿11.18

1957.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.89 CHF 7.32

$2.36 ฿78.7

276.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 CHF 6.36

$3.90 ฿130

97.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.79

$2.05 ฿68.6

5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$1.40 ฿46.70

115.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.67

$1.28 ฿42.89

153.91%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.42

$2.25 ฿75.3

246.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.73 CHF 19.54

$16.94 ฿566

40.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.58 CHF 23.54

$2.74 ฿91.6

943.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.02 CHF 31.31

$9.36 ฿313

306.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 CHF 3.23

$2.40 ฿80.3

63.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 CHF 1.63

$1.01 ฿33.92

95.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 CHF 2.22

$1.61 ฿53.9

67.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 CHF 3.76

$1.52 ฿50.7

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.28 ฿42.90

25.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$1.11 ฿37.22

83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$0.72 ฿24.09

215.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.05

$0.52 ฿17.54

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.37 CHF 9.37

$4.33 ฿145

162.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 9.98

$17.73 ฿593

-31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.63 ฿54.4

34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CHF 2.45

$2.85 ฿95.3

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 CHF 5.03

$0.85 ฿28.31

618.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 CHF 81.0

$53.9 ฿1,801

82.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 CHF 6.75

$1.17 ฿39.18

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.61 CHF 3.79

$0.57 ฿19.00

708.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 CHF 87.3

$2.37 ฿79.2

4372.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.93

$1.45 ฿48.32

62.07%

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

$42.0K CHF 34.6K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

104.89%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

47.18%

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

$275 CHF 227

$62.3 ฿2,083

341.95%

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

$28.22 CHF 23.24

$12.27 ฿410

129.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CHF 44.43

$19.97 ฿668

170.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 CHF 73.4

$37.91 ฿1,267

135.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.49 CHF 38.29

$3.76 ฿126

1136.44%

Cinema Ticket

$23.80 CHF 19.60

$6.71 ฿224

254.69%

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

$3,103 CHF 2,556

$797 ฿26.6K

289.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K CHF 25.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

108.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$53.3 ฿1,780

157.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 50.0

$25.05 ฿837

142.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 128

$91.6 ฿3,062

69.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 CHF 158

$73.5 ฿2,455

161.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 CHF 1,516

$464 ฿15.5K

296.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 CHF 1,162

$305 ฿10.2K

363.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,449 CHF 2,841

$915 ฿30.6K

276.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 CHF 2,066

$552 ฿18.5K

354.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.3K CHF 15.0K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

854.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K CHF 12.4K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

947.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,708 CHF 5,525

$595 ฿19.9K

1027.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

5.57

-55.83%

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

Last update for Bern: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bern

$1.4K 42.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 78.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Bern

$564 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 57.8% $326

Eating Out

Bern

$469 14%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 83.1% $390

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bern

$358 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 73.6% $263

Clothing & Footwear

Bern

$246 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 55.4% $136

Getting Around

Bern

$154 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 60.2% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Bern

$137 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 62.5% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,841 in Bern and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 1027% 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: $119 in Bern vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $564 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Bern

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

5 h ahead of Bern

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,848 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bern Chiang Mai 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bern
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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 256% lower than in Bern. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1027% higher in Bern, 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: $1,841 in Bern versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $119 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,337 per month in Bern versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $3,337 in Bern, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bern. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bern 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 256% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.