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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,462 in Biasca versus $848 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,108 in Biasca versus $1,331 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,754 in Biasca versus $1,814 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Biasca is roughly 308% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biasca is 160% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.83 CHF 17.32

$1.96 ฿63.6

1013.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 CHF 48.97

$18.39 ฿598

235.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 CHF 9.65

$7.87 ฿256

54.51%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CHF 3.32

$1.95 ฿63.4

114.87%

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

$5.97 CHF 4.74

$0.85 ฿27.57

602.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 CHF 4.27

$0.32 ฿10.52

1584.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.33 CHF 8.20

$2.14 ฿69.6

382.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 CHF 6.00

$3.68 ฿120

105.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.81

$1.66 ฿53.9

37.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 CHF 3.13

$1.56 ฿50.7

152.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 CHF 4.16

$1.19 ฿38.63

341.18%

Eggs

$8.06 CHF 6.39

$1.99 ฿64.7

305.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.58 CHF 23.46

$16.24 ฿528

82.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.44 CHF 28.11

$3.17 ฿103

1017.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.37 CHF 34.40

$10.84 ฿352

300.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 CHF 2.90

$2.65 ฿86.2

38.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$1.22 ฿39.67

77.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.27

$1.65 ฿53.7

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CHF 5.84

$1.55 ฿50.3

375.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$1.33 ฿43.17

69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$1.21 ฿39.43

108.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CHF 2.10

$0.68 ฿22.04

289.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.32

$0.57 ฿18.38

192.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 CHF 7.90

$4.68 ฿152

112.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.23 CHF 15.25

$16.99 ฿552

13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 CHF 3.22

$1.82 ฿59.3

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CHF 3.39

$3.18 ฿103

34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 CHF 3.04

$0.91 ฿29.46

321.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 CHF 79.1

$18.74 ฿609

432.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 CHF 6.90

$1.41 ฿45.80

517.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.44 CHF 4.32

$1.34 ฿43.52

305.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.1 CHF 69.1

$8.14 ฿265

970.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.68

$1.28 ฿41.53

65.63%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

$21.8K ฿709.3K

82.43%

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

$42.6K CHF 33.8K

$22.4K ฿728.0K

90.23%

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

$297 CHF 236

$70.5 ฿2,291

321.67%

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

$69.0 CHF 54.7

$14.05 ฿457

390.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 47.10

$17.65 ฿574

236.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 71.1

$41.29 ฿1,342

116.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

Cinema Ticket

$23.25 CHF 18.44

$5.96 ฿194

290.10%

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

$3,986 CHF 3,161

$303 ฿9,846

1215.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.3K CHF 32.0K

$15.0K ฿486.2K

169.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CHF 86.2

$54.7 ฿1,778

98.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 CHF 42.59

$26.29 ฿854

104.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 124

$85.8 ฿2,788

82.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 146

$69.7 ฿2,265

164.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 CHF 1,328

$428 ฿13.9K

290.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 CHF 1,182

$239 ฿7,769

523.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,777 CHF 2,202

$811 ฿26.4K

242.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 CHF 1,957

$510 ฿16.6K

384.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.2K

$2,025 ฿65.8K

723.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.7K CHF 9,274

$1,502 ฿48.8K

678.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

-50.00%

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

Last update for Biasca: June 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,674 in Biasca and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Biasca vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $701 vs $242 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

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

Biasca and Chiang Mai differ by about 308% in total monthly costs ($3,462 vs $848 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,193 in Biasca and $1,272 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,674 in Biasca versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,462 per month in Biasca versus $848 in Chiang Mai – a 308% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 432% less than in Biasca. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $3,462 in Biasca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Biasca. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Biasca 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 308% less than in Biasca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.