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: $3,430 in Bern versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Bern versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,066 in Bern versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bern is roughly 296% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bern is 156% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.70 CHF 21.86

$1.94 ฿63.5

1327.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 84.6

$18.64 ฿609

475.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.47 CHF 13.79

$7.82 ฿255

123.40%

Cappuccino

$5.86 CHF 4.63

$1.95 ฿63.8

200.51%

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

$4.83 CHF 3.81

$0.85 ฿27.77

468.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 CHF 3.66

$0.35 ฿11.58

1225.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 CHF 6.62

$2.13 ฿69.6

293.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 4.94

$3.73 ฿122

67.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$1.71 ฿56.0

29.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$1.63 ฿53.2

100.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.27

$1.14 ฿37.15

264.04%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$1.93 ฿63.1

267.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CHF 22.06

$16.21 ฿530

72.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.50 CHF 28.01

$3.12 ฿102

1037.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.05 CHF 32.39

$10.90 ฿356

276.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.80

$2.75 ฿90.0

29.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.74

$1.21 ฿39.52

81.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.16

$1.62 ฿53.0

69.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.99 CHF 5.51

$1.59 ฿51.8

339.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.40 ฿45.70

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.70

$1.17 ฿38.17

83.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CHF 1.91

$0.66 ฿21.60

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CHF 0.90

$0.53 ฿17.22

115.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 CHF 8.99

$4.69 ฿153

142.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CHF 10.10

$18.66 ฿609

-31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CHF 1.55

$1.80 ฿58.8

8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$3.23 ฿106

-27.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.83

$0.90 ฿29.26

298.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 78.1

$19.21 ฿628

415.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.20

$1.41 ฿45.91

457.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.47 CHF 3.52

$1.29 ฿42.12

246.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.9 CHF 71.7

$7.84 ฿256

1059.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.69

$1.27 ฿41.58

68.50%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.0K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

90.70%

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

$56.6K CHF 44.7K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

154.91%

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

$367 CHF 290

$69.1 ฿2,256

431.10%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.27

$14.08 ฿460

325.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CHF 46.55

$18.00 ฿588

227.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.5 CHF 65.1

$41.06 ฿1,341

100.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.41 CHF 37.42

$6.96 ฿227

581.18%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.38

$5.92 ฿193

314.70%

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

$3,417 CHF 2,697

$299 ฿9,766

1042.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K CHF 31.4K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

166.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 CHF 118

$54.7 ฿1,787

173.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CHF 53.6

$26.77 ฿874

153.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$85.0 ฿2,776

108.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 147

$70.6 ฿2,306

163.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 CHF 1,463

$428 ฿14.0K

332.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CHF 997

$237 ฿7,752

432.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,301 CHF 2,606

$801 ฿26.2K

311.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 CHF 1,868

$515 ฿16.8K

359.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 12.8K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

724.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.8K CHF 10.1K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

771.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,193 CHF 5,676

$617 ฿20.2K

1064.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

-49.60%

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

Last update for Bern: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,853 in Bern and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bern pays 1065% 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: $107 in Bern vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $636 vs $246 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 296% 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.

Bern pays 1065% 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: $1,853 in Bern versus $428 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 $107 in Bern. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,430 per month in Bern versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 296% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $3,430 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 $866 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 296% less than in Bern. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.