Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Liestal

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,252 in Liestal, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Liestal
Learn more

Liestal Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Liestal

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,252 in Liestal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Liestal $3,252

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,162 in Liestal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Liestal $5,162

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,071 in Liestal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Liestal $7,071

Chiang Mai is about 71% cheaper than Liestal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Liestal is 139% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$29.22 CHF 24.10

-92.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$120 CHF 99.1

-84.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$18.51 CHF 15.27

-70.02%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$6.26 CHF 5.16

-73.32%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$6.18 CHF 5.10

-89.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$5.88 CHF 4.85

-94.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.97 CHF 7.40

-73.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-53.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$3.10 CHF 2.56

-53.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$3.35 CHF 2.76

-60.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$7.70 CHF 6.35

-70.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$24.34 CHF 20.07

-32.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$27.80 CHF 22.93

-90.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$39.05 CHF 32.20

-76.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.85 CHF 3.17

-38.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-57.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.81 CHF 2.32

-43.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.69 CHF 3.87

-68.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.68 CHF 1.39

-23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-44.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-69.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.35 CHF 1.11

-63.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$11.48 CHF 9.47

-63.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.87 CHF 9.79

47.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-28.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.02 CHF 2.49

-7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$4.32 CHF 3.56

-79.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$103 CHF 85.1

-47.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$8.44 CHF 6.96

-86.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$4.68 CHF 3.86

-88.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$108 CHF 88.7

-97.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$2.39 CHF 1.97

-39.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$38.5K CHF 31.8K

-45.35%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

-30.92%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$293 CHF 242

-78.78%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$28.40 CHF 23.42

-57.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$63.2 CHF 52.1

-68.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$85.3 CHF 70.3

-56.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$45.92 CHF 37.87

-91.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$24.00 CHF 19.79

-72.96%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$2,980 CHF 2,458

-75.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$30.6K CHF 25.2K

-51.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$140 CHF 115

-61.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-60.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$159 CHF 131

-42.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$201 CHF 166

-64.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,759 CHF 1,451

-72.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,287 CHF 1,061

-75.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,960 CHF 2,441

-66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,567 CHF 2,117

-75.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-85.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

-87.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$9,109 CHF 7,513

-93.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.42

130.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Liestal: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Liestal

$1.3K 39.6% 317% $978

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Liestal

$570 17.5% 143% $335

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Liestal

$253 7.8% 133% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Liestal

$385 11.8% 307% $290

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Liestal

$473 14.6% 510% $396

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Liestal

$152 4.7% 148% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Liestal

$133 4.1% 165% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,759 in Liestal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Liestal are about 15 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $120 in Liestal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $570 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Liestal

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,807

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Liestal 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Liestal

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 Liestal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liestal costs about 248% 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 $4,878 in Liestal. 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 $1,759 in Liestal.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,980 in Liestal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 143% more in Liestal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,252 in Liestal. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Liestal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.