Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bregenz and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,140 in Bregenz, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Bregenz
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Bregenz Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bregenz

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,140

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,140 in Bregenz versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bregenz $2,140
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,163 in Bregenz versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bregenz $3,163
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,187 in Bregenz versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bregenz $4,187
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bregenz is roughly 129% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bregenz is 57% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 €18.12

$2.24 ฿75.6

806.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 €69.8

$19.00 ฿641

311.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 €10.85

$5.55 ฿187

119.10%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.18

$1.67 ฿56.5

180.24%

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

$4.14 €3.70

$0.64 ฿21.53

546.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.32

$0.31 ฿10.30

1100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.08

$2.36 ฿79.5

141.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €4.02

$3.66 ฿124

23.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.95 ฿65.7

-11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 €2.96

$1.44 ฿48.45

130.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.33 ฿45.01

23.31%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.74

$2.28 ฿77.0

84.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 €14.31

$16.45 ฿555

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 €12.37

$2.78 ฿93.8

398.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.15 €18.87

$9.31 ฿314

127.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.35 ฿79.4

8.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.61

$0.97 ฿32.78

85.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.60 ฿53.9

39.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.31

$1.50 ฿50.6

147.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.28 ฿43.10

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.10 ฿37.17

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.71 ฿23.81

159.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 €0.24

$0.49 ฿16.36

-44.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.90

$4.14 ฿140

59.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €7.12

$17.52 ฿591

-54.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.61 ฿54.5

-12.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.12

$2.78 ฿93.9

-55.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.53

$0.87 ฿29.29

226.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.95 €40.10

$54.1 ฿1,825

-16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 €4.06

$1.16 ฿39.03

292.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 €2.19

$0.53 ฿17.79

364.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €30.42

$2.42 ฿81.7

1309.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.45 ฿48.87

15.17%

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

$29.4K €26.2K

$21.1K ฿710.3K

39.52%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$26.9K ฿908.7K

23.40%

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

$263 €235

$62.2 ฿2,097

323.27%

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

$15.74 €14.05

$12.17 ฿410

29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.02 €27.68

$20.12 ฿679

54.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 €60.6

$37.31 ฿1,259

81.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 €7.99

$6.49 ฿219

37.90%

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

$867 €774

$736 ฿24.8K

17.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €11.3K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

-14.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$155 €138

$53.4 ฿1,800

190.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.52 €14.74

$24.64 ฿831

-32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.4 €49.41

$91.5 ฿3,086

-39.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 €50.4

$71.9 ฿2,426

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 €917

$482 ฿16.3K

113.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €776

$309 ฿10.4K

181.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 €1,489

$1,006 ฿33.9K

65.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,233

$633 ฿21.4K

118.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 €6,302

$2,363 ฿79.7K

198.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,702 €5,088

$1,589 ฿53.6K

258.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,814 €2,511

$590 ฿19.9K

377.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.57

-35.91%

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

Last update for Bregenz: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bregenz

$869 40.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 64.5% $560

Groceries & Markets

Bregenz

$350 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 33% $115

Eating Out

Bregenz

$324 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 76.1% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bregenz

$310 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 69.5% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Bregenz

$128 6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 14.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bregenz

$86 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 41.4% $36

Getting Around

Bregenz

$73 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Bregenz and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bregenz pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Bregenz vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Bregenz

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

6 h ahead of Bregenz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,620

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bregenz Chiang Mai 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bregenz
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,140 in Bregenz and $936 in Chiang Mai, so Chiang Mai is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Bregenz is about 4.8 times higher, 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: $1,028 in Bregenz versus $482 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 versus $78 in Bregenz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,140 per month in Bregenz versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Bregenz and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Bregenz on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.