Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,568 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 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 Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,568 in Yens, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Yens $3,568

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,328 in Yens, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Yens $5,328

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $7,088 in Yens, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Yens $7,088

Chiang Mai is about 74% cheaper than Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Yens is 164% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$29.48 CHF 24.07

-92.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$116 CHF 94.4

-83.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$16.12 CHF 13.16

-65.26%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$6.35 CHF 5.19

-73.86%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$5.07 CHF 4.14

-87.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$4.04 CHF 3.30

-92.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$9.34 CHF 7.63

-75.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$7.91 CHF 6.46

-53.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$3.06 CHF 2.50

-53.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$3.32 CHF 2.71

-58.13%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$7.55 CHF 6.17

-68.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$24.49 CHF 19.99

-32.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$27.77 CHF 22.67

-90.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$40.09 CHF 32.73

-77.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-34.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$4.74 CHF 3.87

-67.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.66 CHF 1.35

-25.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.97 CHF 1.61

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$2.08 CHF 1.70

-63.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$1.37 CHF 1.12

-62.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$11.04 CHF 9.01

-62.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$12.38 CHF 10.10

44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$3.05 CHF 2.49

-7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$3.99 CHF 3.26

-76.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$107 CHF 87.7

-50.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-85.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$4.69 CHF 3.83

-96.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$85.7 CHF 70.0

-97.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-37.18%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

-46.19%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-33.61%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$280 CHF 229

-77.67%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$28.64 CHF 23.38

-59.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$53.4 CHF 43.61

-62.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$76.2 CHF 62.2

-50.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$47.19 CHF 38.52

-92.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$24.30 CHF 19.84

-73.21%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$2,957 CHF 2,414

-75.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$35.6K CHF 29.1K

-53.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$143 CHF 117

-62.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$61.4 CHF 50.1

-59.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$141 CHF 115

-36.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$195 CHF 159

-63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$1,735 CHF 1,416

-72.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,655 CHF 1,351

-81.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,868 CHF 2,342

-63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-75.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

-85.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$11.5K CHF 9,368

-85.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.95

185.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Yens

$1.7K 46.4% 434% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Yens

$569 16% 140% $332

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Yens

$243 6.8% 125% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Yens

$362 10.2% 283% $268

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Yens

$459 12.9% 500% $383

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Yens

$155 4.3% 164% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Yens

$125 3.5% 145% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,735 in Yens. 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 $116 in Yens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $569 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

10:49 10:49 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Yens 8,700 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yens costs about 281% 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 $5,352 in Yens. 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 $1,735 in Yens.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,957 in Yens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% more in Yens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $3,568 in Yens. 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 74% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.