Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sion

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,284 in Sion, rent and utilities included – about $28,200 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 Sion
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Sion Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sion

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,284 in Sion, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sion $3,284

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,915 in Sion, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sion $4,915

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,546 in Sion, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sion $6,546

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Sion is 141% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$29.93 CHF 24.69

-92.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$90.2 CHF 74.4

-78.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$19.21 CHF 15.85

-71.11%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.66 CHF 3.84

-64.16%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-88.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$4.17 CHF 3.44

-92.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$7.32 CHF 6.04

-67.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$7.40 CHF 6.10

-50.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.02 CHF 1.67

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$3.71 CHF 3.06

-61.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-66.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$7.23 CHF 5.96

-68.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$25.77 CHF 21.25

-36.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$22.80 CHF 18.80

-87.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$39.58 CHF 32.64

-76.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.28 CHF 2.71

-28.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.70 CHF 1.40

-42.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.54 CHF 2.10

-37.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.35 CHF 5.24

-76.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.81 CHF 1.49

-29.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.15 CHF 1.78

-48.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.45 CHF 2.02

-71.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$1.17 CHF 0.96

-58.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.96 CHF 9.04

-62.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$14.59 CHF 12.03

20.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.79 CHF 1.48

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.88 CHF 1.55

47.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$5.17 CHF 4.27

-83.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$179 CHF 147

-69.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$5.93 CHF 4.89

-80.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$5.39 CHF 4.45

-90.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$49.11 CHF 40.51

-95.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$2.30 CHF 1.90

-36.96%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-46.57%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$37.6K CHF 31.0K

-28.33%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$309 CHF 255

-79.89%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$25.35 CHF 20.91

-51.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$48.26 CHF 39.80

-58.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$137 CHF 113

-72.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$55.4 CHF 45.71

-93.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$20.33 CHF 16.77

-68.08%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$974 CHF 804

-24.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$38.2K CHF 31.5K

-61.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$110 CHF 91.0

-51.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$49.30 CHF 40.66

-50.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$165 CHF 136

-44.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$172 CHF 142

-58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,231 CHF 1,015

-60.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,269 CHF 1,047

-75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,308 CHF 1,904

-56.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,091 CHF 1,724

-69.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$7,526 CHF 6,207

-68.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$5,552 CHF 4,579

-71.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$5,816 CHF 4,797

-89.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.15

159.07%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sion

$1.3K 38.6% 311% $960

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sion

$556 16.9% 137% $322

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sion

$224 6.8% 106% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sion

$383 11.7% 305% $288

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sion

$443 13.5% 471% $365

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sion

$232 7.1% 278% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sion

$178 5.4% 254% $128

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,231 in Sion. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sion are about 9.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $90 in Sion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $556 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Sion

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

06:43 6:43 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

34,599

💱 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 Sion 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sion

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 Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion costs about 251% 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 $4,926 in Sion. 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 $1,231 in Sion.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $974 in Sion. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 137% more in Sion, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,284 in Sion. 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.

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