Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Turgi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,778 in Turgi, rent and utilities included – about $34,100 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
173

Cost of Living Index in Turgi
Learn more

Turgi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Turgi

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,778 in Turgi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Turgi $3,778

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,508 in Turgi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Turgi $5,508

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,237 in Turgi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Turgi $7,237

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Turgi is 179% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$30.45 CHF 24.88

-93.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$128 CHF 105

-85.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$18.55 CHF 15.15

-69.81%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$6.56 CHF 5.36

-74.70%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$6.52 CHF 5.32

-90.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$6.16 CHF 5.03

-95.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$9.99 CHF 8.16

-76.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$9.48 CHF 7.75

-61.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.29 CHF 1.87

-11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$3.07 CHF 2.51

-54.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$3.26 CHF 2.66

-57.36%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$7.92 CHF 6.47

-70.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$26.61 CHF 21.74

-37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$27.37 CHF 22.36

-90.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$42.00 CHF 34.31

-78.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$3.61 CHF 2.95

-33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$2.33 CHF 1.90

-55.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$3.04 CHF 2.48

-45.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.65 CHF 3.80

-66.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$1.37 CHF 1.12

-9.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.97 CHF 1.61

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-65.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$1.65 CHF 1.34

-69.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$11.41 CHF 9.32

-63.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$12.05 CHF 9.84

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$2.53 CHF 2.07

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$3.14 CHF 2.57

-10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$4.27 CHF 3.49

-78.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$87.3 CHF 71.4

-39.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$8.17 CHF 6.67

-85.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$4.61 CHF 3.76

-96.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$86.7 CHF 70.9

-97.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$2.32 CHF 1.90

-36.64%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$38.9K CHF 31.7K

-45.93%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

-33.96%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$299 CHF 244

-79.10%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$46.65 CHF 38.11

-75.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$64.4 CHF 52.6

-68.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$80.1 CHF 65.4

-52.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$48.21 CHF 39.39

-92.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$23.57 CHF 19.26

-72.38%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$3,134 CHF 2,560

-76.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$36.2K CHF 29.5K

-54.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$148 CHF 121

-63.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$79.2 CHF 64.7

-68.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$162 CHF 132

-44.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$200 CHF 163

-63.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,859 CHF 1,519

-74.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,754 CHF 1,433

-82.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$3,051 CHF 2,493

-65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$2,572 CHF 2,101

-74.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$17.2K CHF 14.0K

-85.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$11.7K CHF 9,557

-86.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Turgi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Turgi

$1.8K 46.4% 466% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Turgi

$588 15.6% 149% $351

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Turgi

$265 7% 145% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Turgi

$410 10.9% 334% $316

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Turgi

$498 13.2% 550% $421

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Turgi

$136 3.6% 131% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Turgi

$127 3.4% 150% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,859 in Turgi. 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 $128 in Turgi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $588 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Turgi

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

22:20 10:20 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.817 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.92 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Turgi 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Turgi

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 Turgi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turgi costs about 304% 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 $5,667 in Turgi. 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 $1,859 in Turgi.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,134 in Turgi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 149% more in Turgi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,778 in Turgi. 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.