Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Wallisellen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,421 in Wallisellen, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Wallisellen
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Wallisellen Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Wallisellen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,421 in Wallisellen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Wallisellen $3,421

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,209 in Wallisellen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Wallisellen $5,209

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,997 in Wallisellen, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Wallisellen $6,997

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

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Wallisellen is 151% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$33.63 CHF 27.90

-93.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$122 CHF 101

-84.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$18.33 CHF 15.20

-69.72%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$6.07 CHF 5.04

-72.49%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$5.51 CHF 4.57

-88.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$4.72 CHF 3.91

-93.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.61 CHF 7.14

-72.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$9.37 CHF 7.77

-60.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$3.92 CHF 3.25

-63.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$4.37 CHF 3.63

-69.57%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$7.53 CHF 6.24

-69.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$26.21 CHF 21.74

-37.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$26.35 CHF 21.86

-89.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$40.67 CHF 33.74

-77.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.55 CHF 2.94

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.07 CHF 1.72

-53.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.69 CHF 2.23

-40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.75 CHF 3.94

-68.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.04 CHF 1.70

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.21 CHF 1.83

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.39 CHF 1.98

-70.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.20 CHF 1.00

-59.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.96 CHF 9.09

-62.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$12.81 CHF 10.63

36.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.36 CHF 1.96

-31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.33 CHF 2.76

-16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$4.23 CHF 3.51

-79.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$103 CHF 85.7

-47.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$5.47 CHF 4.54

-78.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$3.32 CHF 2.75

-84.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$61.4 CHF 50.9

-96.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.28 CHF 1.89

-36.40%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$38.8K CHF 32.2K

-45.73%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-31.72%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$230 CHF 191

-72.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$31.55 CHF 26.17

-61.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$65.0 CHF 53.9

-69.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$88.1 CHF 73.1

-57.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$46.35 CHF 38.45

-91.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$21.46 CHF 17.81

-69.76%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$1,786 CHF 1,482

-58.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$32.1K CHF 26.6K

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$142 CHF 117

-62.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$86.7 CHF 72.0

-71.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$147 CHF 122

-37.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$175 CHF 145

-58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,758 CHF 1,459

-72.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,490 CHF 1,236

-79.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,966 CHF 2,461

-66.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,477 CHF 2,055

-74.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$16.6K CHF 13.8K

-85.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

-87.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$8,448 CHF 7,009

-93.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.72

223.84%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wallisellen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Wallisellen

$1.5K 43.6% 382% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Wallisellen

$584 17.1% 149% $350

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Wallisellen

$247 7.2% 128% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Wallisellen

$326 9.5% 246% $232

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Wallisellen

$500 14.6% 544% $422

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Wallisellen

$142 4.2% 132% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Wallisellen

$131 3.8% 161% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,758 in Wallisellen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Wallisellen 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 $122 in Wallisellen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $584 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Wallisellen

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,603

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Wallisellen 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Wallisellen

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 Wallisellen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wallisellen costs about 266% 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 $5,131 in Wallisellen. 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 $1,758 in Wallisellen.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,786 in Wallisellen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,421 in Wallisellen. 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 $3,421 in Wallisellen. 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, Wallisellen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.