Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Schaan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,281 in Schaan, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. The total is higher in Schaan despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Schaan

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,281 in Schaan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Schaan $1,281

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,181 in Schaan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Schaan $2,181

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,082 in Schaan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Schaan $3,082

Chiang Mai is about 27% cheaper than Schaan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Schaan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Schaan 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$27.20 CHF 22.52

-91.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$83.7 CHF 69.3

-77.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$14.59 CHF 12.08

-61.96%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$6.80 CHF 5.63

-75.44%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$2.93 CHF 2.43

-78.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$6.20 CHF 5.14

-95.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$4.94 CHF 4.09

-52.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.61 CHF 2.99

1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.95 CHF 1.61

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$4.70 CHF 3.89

-69.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$5.78 CHF 4.78

-60.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$28.74 CHF 23.79

-42.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$24.42 CHF 20.21

-88.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$47.49 CHF 39.32

-80.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$8.51 CHF 7.04

-82.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-80.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$12.29 CHF 10.18

42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$2.38 CHF 1.97

-63.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-41.06%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$86.1 CHF 71.3

-27.78%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$32.04 CHF 26.53

-62.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$43.01 CHF 35.61

-53.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$122 CHF 101

-69.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$19.58 CHF 16.21

-66.85%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,827 CHF 1,513

-73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$3,052 CHF 2,527

-67.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$9,554 CHF 7,910

-75.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$6,145 CHF 5,088

-74.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$8,508 CHF 7,044

-93.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Schaan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Schaan

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Schaan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Schaan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Schaan

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Schaan

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Schaan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Schaan

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,827 in Schaan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Schaan are about 14 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $84 in Schaan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $537 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇮 Schaan

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

03:13 3:13 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

6,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Schaan 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Schaan

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 Schaan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schaan costs about 37% 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 $1,921 in Schaan. 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 $1,827 in Schaan.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,281 in Schaan. That makes Chiang Mai about 27% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 129% more in Schaan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,281 in Schaan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,281 in Schaan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Schaan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.