Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Glarus

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,328 in Glarus, rent and utilities included – about $28,700 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
159

Cost of Living Index in Glarus
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Glarus Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Glarus

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,328 in Glarus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Glarus $3,328

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,017 in Glarus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Glarus $5,017

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,706 in Glarus, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Glarus $6,706

Chiang Mai is about 72% cheaper than Glarus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Glarus is 145% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$29.28 CHF 24.29

-92.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$119 CHF 98.8

-84.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$17.86 CHF 14.82

-68.92%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.91 CHF 4.90

-71.74%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$3.87 CHF 3.21

-83.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$3.88 CHF 3.22

-92.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.89 CHF 7.37

-73.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.37 CHF 5.29

-42.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.20 CHF 1.83

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.20 CHF 2.66

-55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.89 CHF 2.39

-53.98%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$7.95 CHF 6.60

-71.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.26 CHF 6.85

99.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$14.23 CHF 11.81

-80.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$39.22 CHF 32.54

-76.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.12 CHF 2.58

-24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.55 CHF 1.28

-37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-30.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$5.37 CHF 4.45

-72.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.65 CHF 1.37

-22.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.10 CHF 1.74

-47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-68.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.19 CHF 0.99

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$11.08 CHF 9.19

-62.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.02 CHF 9.15

58.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.12 CHF 1.76

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.33 CHF 1.93

19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$5.94 CHF 4.93

-85.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$225 CHF 186

-75.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$6.52 CHF 5.41

-82.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$4.81 CHF 3.99

-88.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$79.3 CHF 65.8

-96.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.21 CHF 1.83

-34.39%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$38.3K CHF 31.8K

-45.03%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

-30.63%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$311 CHF 258

-80.04%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$37.41 CHF 31.04

-67.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$54.1 CHF 44.91

-62.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$162 CHF 134

-76.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$43.11 CHF 35.77

-91.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$25.30 CHF 20.99

-74.35%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$2,278 CHF 1,889

-67.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$32.5K CHF 27.0K

-54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$102 CHF 84.4

-47.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$42.39 CHF 35.17

-41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$131 CHF 109

-30.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$97.6 CHF 81.0

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,676 CHF 1,390

-71.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,377 CHF 1,142

-77.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,960 CHF 2,455

-66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,298 CHF 1,907

-72.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.1

165.24%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Glarus: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Glarus

$1.4K 41.4% 346% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Glarus

$442 13.3% 88.4% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Glarus

$168 5.1% 54.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Glarus

$403 12.1% 327% $309

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Glarus

$447 13.4% 476% $369

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Glarus

$279 8.4% 355% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Glarus

$212 6.4% 322% $162

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,676 in Glarus. 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 $119 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $442 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Glarus

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

02:02 2:02 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,500

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Glarus 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Glarus

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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glarus costs about 256% 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 $4,992 in Glarus. 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 $482 there versus $1,676 in Glarus.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,278 in Glarus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Glarus, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,328 in Glarus. 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 72% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.