Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Buochs

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,415 in Buochs, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Buochs
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Buochs Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Buochs

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,415 in Buochs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Buochs $3,415

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,026 in Buochs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Buochs $5,026

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,637 in Buochs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Buochs $6,637

Chiang Mai is about 73% cheaper than Buochs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Buochs is 153% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$31.08 CHF 25.47

-93.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$121 CHF 99.0

-84.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$16.78 CHF 13.75

-66.63%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$5.91 CHF 4.84

-71.91%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$5.40 CHF 4.42

-87.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$4.93 CHF 4.04

-93.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$8.79 CHF 7.20

-73.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$6.56 CHF 5.38

-44.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$2.22 CHF 1.82

-9.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$3.34 CHF 2.73

-57.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$4.25 CHF 3.49

-67.29%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$7.11 CHF 5.83

-66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$26.50 CHF 21.72

-37.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$26.04 CHF 21.33

-89.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$41.18 CHF 33.74

-78.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$3.61 CHF 2.96

-33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$2.09 CHF 1.71

-50.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.60 CHF 2.13

-36.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$4.64 CHF 3.80

-66.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$2.03 CHF 1.66

-38.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$2.31 CHF 1.90

-52.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$2.33 CHF 1.91

-67.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$1.11 CHF 0.91

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$10.91 CHF 8.94

-62.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$12.12 CHF 9.93

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$2.87 CHF 2.35

-43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$3.05 CHF 2.50

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$4.59 CHF 3.76

-79.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$99.9 CHF 81.8

-47.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$4.69 CHF 3.85

-74.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$2.91 CHF 2.39

-94.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$62.2 CHF 51.0

-97.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-34.67%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

-45.92%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$39.6K CHF 32.4K

-32.97%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$235 CHF 192

-73.35%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$29.28 CHF 24.00

-60.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$65.7 CHF 53.8

-69.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$79.1 CHF 64.8

-52.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$46.35 CHF 37.98

-92.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$21.59 CHF 17.69

-69.85%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$1,546 CHF 1,266

-52.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$25.1K CHF 20.6K

-33.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$140 CHF 115

-61.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$89.6 CHF 73.4

-72.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$149 CHF 122

-39.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$172 CHF 141

-58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,830 CHF 1,500

-73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$1,533 CHF 1,256

-79.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$3,141 CHF 2,574

-66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$2,234 CHF 1,831

-70.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$14.4K CHF 11.8K

-83.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$10.7K CHF 8,736

-84.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.72

223.84%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Buochs: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Buochs

$1.5K 44.9% 395% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Buochs

$577 16.9% 144% $340

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Buochs

$248 7.3% 129% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Buochs

$330 9.7% 249% $235

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Buochs

$468 13.7% 512% $392

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Buochs

$137 4% 134% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Buochs

$122 3.6% 140% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,830 in Buochs. 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 Buochs. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $577 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Buochs

🕒 Local time

18:27 6:27 PM

12:27 12:27 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,500

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Buochs

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 Buochs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $3,415 in Buochs – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 73% 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 $5,123 in Buochs. 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 $1,830 in Buochs.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,546 in Buochs. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,415 in Buochs. 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 73% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.