🙂A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,464 in Altstätten, rent included.
🙂A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,384 in Altstätten, rent included.
🙂A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,305 in Altstätten, rent included.
🙂Chiang Mai is about 75% cheaper than Altstätten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Chiang Mai sits 36% below the global median, while Altstätten is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.96฿64.0
$31.40CHF 24.84
-93.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.81฿615
$141CHF 112
-86.67%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.92฿259
$18.85CHF 14.91
-57.98%
Cappuccino
$1.91฿62.6
$5.95CHF 4.71
-67.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84฿27.41
$5.39CHF 4.26
-84.42%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35฿11.51
$4.90CHF 3.87
-92.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.21฿72.1
$8.17CHF 6.46
-72.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80฿124
$7.33CHF 5.80
-48.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.64฿53.5
$2.15CHF 1.70
-23.72%
White Bread(500g)
$1.62฿53.1
$3.60CHF 2.85
-55.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.18฿38.62
$4.19CHF 3.31
-71.84%
Eggs
$2.01฿65.8
$7.62CHF 6.03
-73.62%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.89฿520
$28.48CHF 22.53
-44.21%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.01฿98.5
$33.38CHF 26.40
-90.98%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.77฿352
$47.18CHF 37.32
-77.17%
Apples(1kg)
$2.61฿85.5
$3.62CHF 2.87
-27.90%
Banana(1kg)
$1.22฿39.88
$2.33CHF 1.84
-47.64%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.70฿55.7
$2.85CHF 2.26
-40.35%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.58฿51.5
$6.14CHF 4.85
-74.27%
Potato(1kg)
$1.32฿43.14
$2.53CHF 2.00
-47.83%
Onion(1kg)
$1.17฿38.23
$2.41CHF 1.91
-51.45%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.67฿21.98
$2.60CHF 2.05
-74.23%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56฿18.32
$1.38CHF 1.09
-59.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.53฿148
$11.06CHF 8.75
-59.04%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.20฿595
$13.90CHF 11.00
30.94%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83฿60.0
$2.33CHF 1.85
-21.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23฿106
$3.33CHF 2.63
-3.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.89฿29.00
$3.97CHF 3.14
-77.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.38฿634
$99.2CHF 78.5
-80.47%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.35฿44.20
$7.67CHF 6.07
-82.40%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.35฿44.05
$4.27CHF 3.37
-68.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.25฿270
$79.9CHF 63.2
-89.68%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27฿41.64
$2.12CHF 1.68
-40.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K฿691.8K
$40.8KCHF 32.3K
-48.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.5K฿735.3K
$41.9KCHF 33.1K
-46.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$70.2฿2,294
$258CHF 204
-72.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.77฿450
$49.33CHF 39.02
-72.09%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.60฿575
$59.7CHF 47.25
-70.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.57฿1,360
$87.9CHF 69.6
-52.72%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.60฿216
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.78฿189
$23.00CHF 18.19
-74.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$306฿10.0K
$2,879CHF 2,277
-89.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$14.8K฿484.8K
$34.1KCHF 27.0K
-56.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4฿1,778
$136CHF 108
-60.10%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.14฿855
$67.3CHF 53.3
-61.17%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$84.5฿2,764
$150CHF 118
-43.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.4฿2,270
$189CHF 149
-63.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$424฿13.9K
$1,721CHF 1,361
-75.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$238฿7,788
$1,455CHF 1,151
-83.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$825฿27.0K
$2,850CHF 2,254
-71.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$515฿16.8K
$2,475CHF 1,958
-79.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,049฿67.0K
$15.2KCHF 12.0K
-86.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,523฿49.8K
$11.9KCHF 9,450
-87.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Altstätten
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$635฿20.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5
2.5
100.00%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Altstätten: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $1,721 in Altstätten. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $141 in Altstätten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $658 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Chiang Mai vs Altstätten: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Is Altstätten cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 306%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $5,196 in Altstätten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Chiang Mai vs Altstätten?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $852 in Chiang Mai and $3,464 in Altstätten. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 412% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Chiang Mai or Altstätten?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Altstätten at $3,464. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Chiang Mai or Altstätten more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Chiang Mai or Altstätten?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.
Chiang Mai vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado