Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Vevey

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $3,289 in Vevey, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 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
159

Cost of Living Index in Vevey
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Vevey Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Vevey

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,289 in Vevey, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Vevey $3,289

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,891 in Vevey, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Vevey $4,891

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,493 in Vevey, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Vevey $6,493

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

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Vevey is 143% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿77.2

$30.02 CHF 24.85

-92.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿663

$120 CHF 99.5

-83.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿190

$18.34 CHF 15.18

-69.41%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.2

$6.19 CHF 5.12

-73.18%

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

$0.70 ฿23.63

$5.14 CHF 4.25

-86.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.34

$4.34 CHF 3.59

-92.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿81.2

$9.34 CHF 7.73

-74.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿125

$8.08 CHF 6.69

-54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.9

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$2.94 CHF 2.43

-52.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿44.07

$3.17 CHF 2.62

-58.68%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿73.6

$7.20 CHF 5.96

-69.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿562

$24.34 CHF 20.15

-31.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.1

$29.03 CHF 24.03

-90.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿307

$39.04 CHF 32.31

-76.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.8

$3.61 CHF 2.99

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.61

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-49.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.9

$2.45 CHF 2.02

-33.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.69 CHF 3.88

-68.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.57

$1.84 CHF 1.53

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.40

$1.98 CHF 1.64

-43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.32

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-67.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.77

$1.75 CHF 1.45

-69.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿145

$10.84 CHF 8.97

-60.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿606

$12.29 CHF 10.17

46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿53.4

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿96.0

$3.01 CHF 2.49

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿29.15

$3.54 CHF 2.93

-75.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,799

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.70

$7.89 CHF 6.53

-84.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.18

$4.68 CHF 3.87

-87.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$84.8 CHF 70.2

-97.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$2.41 CHF 2.00

-40.25%

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

$20.7K ฿699.9K

$38.5K CHF 31.8K

-46.13%

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

$26.8K ฿904.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-32.19%

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

$62.3 ฿2,104

$279 CHF 231

-77.66%

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

$12.11 ฿409

$29.37 CHF 24.31

-58.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿673

$55.1 CHF 45.61

-63.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,251

$83.2 CHF 68.8

-55.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿127

$35.81 CHF 29.64

-89.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿219

$25.06 CHF 20.74

-74.06%

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

$793 ฿26.8K

$2,933 CHF 2,427

-72.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿499.9K

$30.4K CHF 25.2K

-51.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,814

$140 CHF 116

-61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿831

$60.8 CHF 50.3

-59.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,067

$138 CHF 114

-34.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,402

$194 CHF 161

-63.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.4K

$1,490 CHF 1,233

-69.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.1K

$1,464 CHF 1,212

-79.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.7K

$2,467 CHF 2,042

-63.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.7K

$2,258 CHF 1,869

-75.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿65.2K

$19.4K CHF 16.0K

-90.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.8K

$15.6K CHF 12.9K

-90.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.9K

$8,413 CHF 6,963

-92.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

178.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Vevey: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Vevey

$1.5K 44.5% 392% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Vevey

$573 17.4% 143% $337

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Vevey

$240 7.3% 122% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Vevey

$364 11.1% 285% $269

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Vevey

$470 14.3% 498% $392

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Vevey

$45 * 1.4% 25.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Vevey

$133 4.1% 166% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $1,490 in Vevey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai versus $120 in Vevey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $573 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Vevey

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

19,220

💱 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 = 1.08 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.76 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.927 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Vevey 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Vevey

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 Vevey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vevey costs about 256% 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,934 in Vevey. 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 $455 there versus $1,490 in Vevey.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Chiang Mai and $120 in Vevey. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 143% more in Vevey, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $925 in Chiang Mai and $3,289 in Vevey. 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vevey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.