Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brissago

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,568 in Brissago, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 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
170

Cost of Living Index in Brissago
Learn more

Brissago Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Brissago

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brissago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,568 in Brissago, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Brissago $3,568

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

Chiang Mai $1,467
Brissago $5,467

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,366 in Brissago, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Brissago $7,366

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Brissago is 164% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$29.06 CHF 23.73

-92.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$121 CHF 99.1

-84.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$16.17 CHF 13.20

-65.37%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$6.96 CHF 5.68

-76.15%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$6.39 CHF 5.22

-89.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$6.91 CHF 5.64

-95.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$9.33 CHF 7.61

-75.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$7.81 CHF 6.38

-53.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$3.07 CHF 2.50

-54.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$3.26 CHF 2.66

-57.36%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$7.90 CHF 6.45

-70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$24.48 CHF 19.98

-32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$29.08 CHF 23.74

-90.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$38.79 CHF 31.67

-76.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$4.05 CHF 3.31

-40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.99 CHF 1.62

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$2.78 CHF 2.27

-40.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.80 CHF 3.92

-67.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.58 CHF 1.29

-21.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$2.02 CHF 1.65

-46.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-66.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$1.35 CHF 1.10

-62.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$11.58 CHF 9.45

-64.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$12.34 CHF 10.08

45.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$2.21 CHF 1.81

-26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$3.01 CHF 2.46

-6.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$4.09 CHF 3.34

-77.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$103 CHF 84.3

-48.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$8.47 CHF 6.92

-86.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$4.67 CHF 3.81

-96.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$108 CHF 88.5

-98.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$2.35 CHF 1.92

-37.45%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-47.34%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$39.7K CHF 32.4K

-33.20%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$276 CHF 226

-77.36%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$27.96 CHF 22.83

-58.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$55.2 CHF 45.09

-63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$83.1 CHF 67.9

-54.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$52.5 CHF 42.82

-92.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$25.86 CHF 21.12

-74.83%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$3,147 CHF 2,569

-76.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$35.5K CHF 29.0K

-53.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$144 CHF 118

-62.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$61.4 CHF 50.1

-59.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$158 CHF 129

-42.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$195 CHF 159

-63.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$2,099 CHF 1,713

-77.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,615 CHF 1,319

-80.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$3,016 CHF 2,462

-64.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$2,849 CHF 2,326

-76.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$15.2K CHF 12.4K

-84.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$9,727 CHF 7,942

-83.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.46

126.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brissago: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Brissago

$1.6K 45.3% 421% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Brissago

$576 16.2% 144% $340

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Brissago

$251 7% 132% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Brissago

$359 10.1% 281% $265

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Brissago

$480 13.5% 527% $403

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Brissago

$151 4.2% 158% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Brissago

$135 3.8% 165% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $2,099 in Brissago. 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 $121 in Brissago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $576 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Brissago

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

11:01 11:01 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Brissago 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brissago

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 Brissago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $3,568 in Brissago – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 74% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $5,352 in Brissago. 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 $2,099 in Brissago.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Brissago, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $121 in Brissago. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,568 in Brissago. 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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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.