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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,477 in Bern versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,394 in Bern versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,311 in Bern versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bern is roughly 267% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bern is 153% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 CHF 23.40

$2.08 ฿68.6

1293.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 102

$19.64 ฿646

543.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 CHF 13.06

$5.65 ฿186

186.19%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CHF 5.66

$1.81 ฿59.4

287.29%

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

$6.23 CHF 5.03

$0.71 ฿23.45

777.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CHF 5.68

$0.32 ฿10.38

2100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.48 CHF 7.65

$2.24 ฿73.6

323.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 CHF 6.61

$3.63 ฿119

125.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$1.96 ฿64.4

14.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 CHF 2.40

$1.50 ฿49.39

98.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$1.34 ฿43.93

142.54%

Eggs

$8.08 CHF 6.52

$2.26 ฿74.5

257.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.49 CHF 19.78

$16.26 ฿535

50.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.84 CHF 24.09

$2.95 ฿97.1

911.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 32.54

$9.94 ฿327

305.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CHF 3.19

$2.57 ฿84.6

53.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.64

$1.06 ฿34.73

92.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.25

$1.61 ฿53.0

72.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.89

$1.52 ฿49.97

216.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CHF 1.39

$1.27 ฿41.77

35.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.69

$1.07 ฿35.06

96.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.84

$0.72 ฿23.68

216.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.08

$0.51 ฿16.72

162.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CHF 9.39

$4.19 ฿138

177.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.11

$17.87 ฿587

-29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.88

$1.69 ฿55.7

37.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$2.84 ฿93.3

8.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.37 CHF 5.14

$0.93 ฿30.43

584.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 81.6

$53.9 ฿1,771

87.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 CHF 6.72

$1.23 ฿40.59

576.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.81

$0.58 ฿18.96

712.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$110 CHF 88.5

$2.42 ฿79.7

4429.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$1.41 ฿46.43

60.99%

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

$43.9K CHF 35.4K

$21.4K ฿705.1K

104.71%

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

$39.4K CHF 31.8K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

44.18%

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

$279 CHF 225

$63.7 ฿2,093

337.44%

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

$28.97 CHF 23.39

$12.85 ฿423

125.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 CHF 44.67

$20.22 ฿665

173.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 74.4

$38.74 ฿1,274

137.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.53 CHF 38.38

$3.97 ฿130

1097.23%

Cinema Ticket

$25.08 CHF 20.25

$6.74 ฿222

272.11%

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

$3,158 CHF 2,550

$778 ฿25.6K

305.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K CHF 25.7K

$14.6K ฿480.4K

118.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$147 CHF 118

$54.3 ฿1,785

169.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 CHF 51.3

$25.45 ฿837

149.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 129

$94.3 ฿3,102

68.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$73.4 ฿2,415

169.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CHF 1,526

$490 ฿16.1K

285.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 CHF 1,157

$289 ฿9,512

395.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,564 CHF 2,878

$894 ฿29.4K

298.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 CHF 2,050

$517 ฿17.0K

391.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K CHF 15.5K

$1,955 ฿64.3K

880.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.4K CHF 12.4K

$1,477 ฿48.6K

941.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,921 CHF 5,588

$602 ฿19.8K

1049.41%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,890 in Bern and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 1049% 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: $126 in Bern vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $586 vs $240 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 267% 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 1049% 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: $1,890 in Bern versus $490 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 $20.00 versus $126 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,477 per month in Bern versus $947 in Chiang Mai – a 267% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $3,477 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 $947 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 267% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.