Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Muralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,757 in Muralto, rent and utilities included – about $33,900 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
171

Cost of Living Index in Muralto
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Muralto Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Muralto

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,757 in Muralto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Muralto $3,757

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,381 in Muralto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Muralto $5,381

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,005 in Muralto, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Muralto $7,005

Chiang Mai is about 75% cheaper than Muralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Muralto is 178% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.2

$31.14 CHF 25.47

-93.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿622

$125 CHF 102

-85.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$17.47 CHF 14.29

-67.95%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.5

$5.69 CHF 4.65

-70.83%

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

$0.65 ฿21.59

$4.82 CHF 3.94

-86.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.18

$5.26 CHF 4.31

-94.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.5

$8.89 CHF 7.27

-73.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$8.10 CHF 6.63

-54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.3

$2.36 CHF 1.93

-14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.00

$3.74 CHF 3.06

-62.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.46

$3.57 CHF 2.92

-61.06%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.0

$8.30 CHF 6.78

-71.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿551

$23.69 CHF 19.38

-30.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.1

$32.41 CHF 26.50

-91.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿301

$44.03 CHF 36.01

-79.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

$3.76 CHF 3.07

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

$2.31 CHF 1.89

-54.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$2.66 CHF 2.17

-37.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

$4.26 CHF 3.48

-63.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-30.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.27

$1.96 CHF 1.60

-44.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.43

$2.10 CHF 1.71

-63.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.16

$1.13 CHF 0.92

-54.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$10.01 CHF 8.19

-58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

$11.24 CHF 9.19

59.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$3.00 CHF 2.45

-46.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

$2.86 CHF 2.34

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.19

$4.52 CHF 3.70

-79.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,766

$90.4 CHF 73.9

-41.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.28

$8.65 CHF 7.07

-86.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.72

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-96.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.5

$79.5 CHF 65.0

-97.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.16

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-36.09%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$42.6K CHF 34.8K

-50.63%

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

$26.5K ฿885.1K

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-22.07%

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

$62.6 ฿2,088

$294 CHF 241

-78.73%

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

$11.60 ฿387

$30.44 CHF 24.90

-61.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿678

$62.7 CHF 51.3

-67.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,264

$76.2 CHF 62.3

-50.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

$49.59 CHF 40.56

-92.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿217

$25.00 CHF 20.45

-73.96%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$3,233 CHF 2,644

-77.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿553.2K

$33.5K CHF 27.4K

-50.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,787

$132 CHF 108

-59.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿828

$68.2 CHF 55.8

-63.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,017

$140 CHF 114

-35.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,402

$171 CHF 140

-57.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,789 CHF 1,463

-73.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.3K

$1,790 CHF 1,464

-82.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.3K

$3,014 CHF 2,465

-64.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$2,446 CHF 2,001

-73.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.7K

$15.4K CHF 12.6K

-84.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.7K

$10.5K CHF 8,567

-84.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.03

174.38%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Muralto: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Muralto

$1.8K 47.6% 478% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Muralto

$613 16.3% 159% $376

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Muralto

$230 6.1% 112% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Muralto

$387 10.3% 310% $293

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Muralto

$471 12.5% 515% $394

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Muralto

$140 3.7% 139% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Muralto

$126 3.4% 148% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,789 in Muralto. 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 $125 in Muralto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $613 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Muralto

🕒 Local time

21:43 9:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.818 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 Muralto 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Muralto

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 Muralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muralto costs about 302% 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 $5,635 in Muralto. 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 $1,789 in Muralto.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,233 in Muralto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 159% more in Muralto, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,757 in Muralto. 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 75% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.