Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Airolo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,536 in Airolo, rent and utilities included – about $31,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Airolo
Learn more

Airolo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Airolo

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Airolo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Airolo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,536 in Airolo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Airolo $3,536

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,247 in Airolo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Airolo $5,247

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,958 in Airolo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Airolo $6,958

Chiang Mai is about 74% cheaper than Airolo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Airolo is 162% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$31.81 CHF 26.07

-93.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$115 CHF 94.3

-83.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$20.32 CHF 16.65

-72.44%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$6.50 CHF 5.33

-74.46%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$6.11 CHF 5.01

-89.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$5.61 CHF 4.60

-94.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$9.60 CHF 7.86

-75.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$6.59 CHF 5.40

-44.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.88 CHF 1.54

7.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$3.91 CHF 3.20

-63.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$4.29 CHF 3.52

-67.60%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$7.18 CHF 5.88

-66.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$24.80 CHF 20.32

-33.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$26.99 CHF 22.12

-90.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$38.28 CHF 31.37

-76.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$3.30 CHF 2.71

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-51.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-35.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$4.12 CHF 3.38

-62.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-40.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$2.17 CHF 1.78

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$2.47 CHF 2.03

-69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$1.40 CHF 1.14

-63.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$11.86 CHF 9.72

-65.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$11.57 CHF 9.48

54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$3.08 CHF 2.53

-47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$3.47 CHF 2.85

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$4.72 CHF 3.87

-80.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$93.6 CHF 76.7

-43.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$7.24 CHF 5.94

-83.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$5.28 CHF 4.32

-96.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$81.2 CHF 66.6

-97.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$2.59 CHF 2.13

-43.24%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$37.1K CHF 30.4K

-43.39%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$45.4K CHF 37.2K

-41.61%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$269 CHF 220

-76.71%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$31.34 CHF 25.68

-62.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$58.7 CHF 48.08

-65.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$89.1 CHF 73.0

-57.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$45.65 CHF 37.40

-91.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$26.14 CHF 21.42

-75.10%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$2,802 CHF 2,296

-74.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$37.5K CHF 30.7K

-55.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$143 CHF 117

-62.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$65.6 CHF 53.8

-62.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$177 CHF 145

-48.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$209 CHF 171

-65.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,565 CHF 1,283

-69.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$1,550 CHF 1,270

-80.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$2,873 CHF 2,354

-63.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$2,414 CHF 1,978

-72.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$13.8K CHF 11.3K

-82.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$11.3K CHF 9,230

-85.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.03

174.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Airolo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Airolo

$1.5K 43.8% 400% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Airolo

$571 16.2% 141% $334

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Airolo

$267 7.6% 147% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Airolo

$359 10.1% 280% $264

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Airolo

$502 14.2% 555% $425

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Airolo

$146 4.1% 149% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Airolo

$141 4% 178% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,565 in Airolo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $115 in Airolo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $571 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Airolo

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

10:45 10:45 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.819 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.919 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Airolo 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Airolo

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

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

Airolo costs about 278% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $5,304 in Airolo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,565 in Airolo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,536 in Airolo. That makes Chiang Mai about 74% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,536 in Airolo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 74% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.