Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $30,200 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
167

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in St. Gallen

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
St. Gallen $3,451

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,120 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
St. Gallen $5,120

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,789 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
St. Gallen $6,789

Chiang Mai is about 73% cheaper than St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while St. Gallen is 154% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$28.78 CHF 23.61

-92.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$144 CHF 118

-86.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$18.04 CHF 14.80

-69.24%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$6.03 CHF 4.95

-72.31%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$5.95 CHF 4.88

-89.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$5.10 CHF 4.19

-93.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$8.80 CHF 7.22

-73.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.38 CHF 5.23

-42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.25 CHF 1.85

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$3.16 CHF 2.59

-54.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$3.77 CHF 3.10

-64.72%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$7.72 CHF 6.33

-70.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$24.91 CHF 20.44

-33.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$29.02 CHF 23.81

-90.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$39.94 CHF 32.77

-76.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.06 CHF 2.51

-23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.56 CHF 1.28

-37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.40 CHF 1.97

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.17 CHF 5.06

-75.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.71 CHF 1.40

-25.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.14 CHF 1.75

-48.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-67.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.18 CHF 0.97

-58.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.98 CHF 9.01

-62.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.23 CHF 9.21

56.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.10 CHF 1.72

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.28 CHF 1.87

21.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$4.08 CHF 3.35

-78.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$86.4 CHF 70.9

-37.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$6.62 CHF 5.43

-82.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$4.76 CHF 3.91

-88.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$79.2 CHF 65.0

-96.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-34.98%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$38.4K CHF 31.5K

-45.12%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$38.6K CHF 31.7K

-30.20%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$312 CHF 256

-80.08%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$37.60 CHF 30.84

-67.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$54.0 CHF 44.26

-62.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$79.6 CHF 65.3

-53.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$28.27 CHF 23.19

-77.04%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$2,308 CHF 1,894

-68.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$32.2K CHF 26.4K

-54.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$144 CHF 119

-63.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$64.0 CHF 52.5

-61.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$146 CHF 120

-37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$183 CHF 150

-60.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,895 CHF 1,554

-74.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,504 CHF 1,234

-79.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,868 CHF 2,353

-64.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,256 CHF 1,850

-71.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$11.3K CHF 9,233

-79.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$8,285 CHF 6,796

-80.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$6,694 CHF 5,491

-91.19%

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 St. Gallen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

St. Gallen

$1.5K 43.6% 387% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

St. Gallen

$575 16.7% 145% $340

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

St. Gallen

$242 7% 123% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

St. Gallen

$404 11.7% 327% $309

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

St. Gallen

$458 13.3% 490% $380

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

St. Gallen

$133 3.9% 117% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

St. Gallen

$136 3.9% 171% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,895 in St. Gallen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in St. Gallen are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $144 in St. Gallen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $575 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

15:34 3:34 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

78,213

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.82 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.915 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai St. Gallen 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
St. Gallen

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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen costs about 269% 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 $5,177 in St. Gallen. 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 $1,895 in St. Gallen.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,308 in St. Gallen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 145% more in St. Gallen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,451 in St. Gallen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $3,451 in St. Gallen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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