Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Embrach and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,413 in Embrach, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Embrach
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Embrach Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Embrach

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,413

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Embrach and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,413 per month in Embrach vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Embrach $3,413
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $5,157 per month in Embrach vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Embrach $5,157
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $6,900 per month in Embrach vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Embrach $6,900
Chiang Mai $1,914

Embrach costs about 264% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Embrach sits 153% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.58 CHF 24.36

$2.26 ฿75.4

1208.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 CHF 97.7

$19.18 ฿641

518.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.28 CHF 15.05

$5.59 ฿187

227.01%

Cappuccino

$6.10 CHF 5.02

$1.72 ฿57.6

254.65%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.34

$0.64 ฿21.54

723.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CHF 4.07

$0.33 ฿11.18

1396.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.93 CHF 7.36

$2.36 ฿78.7

278.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CHF 5.77

$3.90 ฿130

79.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.05 ฿68.6

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$1.40 ฿46.70

162.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.99

$1.28 ฿42.89

183.59%

Eggs

$7.75 CHF 6.38

$2.25 ฿75.3

244.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.68 CHF 21.15

$16.94 ฿566

51.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.23 CHF 23.25

$2.74 ฿91.6

930.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.96 CHF 32.91

$9.36 ฿313

326.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.91

$2.40 ฿80.3

47.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$1.01 ฿33.92

101.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.14

$1.61 ฿53.9

61.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$1.52 ฿50.7

209.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$1.28 ฿42.90

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$1.11 ฿37.22

91.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$0.72 ฿24.09

213.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$0.52 ฿17.54

140.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.89

$4.33 ฿145

149.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 CHF 10.33

$17.73 ฿593

-29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CHF 2.21

$1.63 ฿54.4

65.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$2.85 ฿95.3

10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CHF 3.80

$0.85 ฿28.31

443.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$53.9 ฿1,801

81.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 6.23

$1.17 ฿39.18

547.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.62 CHF 3.80

$0.57 ฿19.00

710.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 CHF 61.3

$2.37 ฿79.2

3041.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$1.45 ฿48.32

50.34%

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

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

102.48%

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

$39.1K CHF 32.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

47.36%

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

$280 CHF 231

$62.3 ฿2,083

349.03%

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

$33.14 CHF 27.30

$12.27 ฿410

170.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 CHF 46.09

$19.97 ฿668

180.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CHF 72.8

$37.91 ฿1,267

133.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.03 CHF 37.91

$3.76 ฿126

1124.20%

Cinema Ticket

$22.52 CHF 18.55

$6.71 ฿224

235.62%

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

$2,681 CHF 2,208

$797 ฿26.6K

236.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 28.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

129.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 117

$53.3 ฿1,780

166.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 CHF 48.02

$25.05 ฿837

132.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 CHF 126

$91.6 ฿3,062

66.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 CHF 153

$73.5 ฿2,455

152.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 CHF 1,388

$464 ฿15.5K

263.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 CHF 1,213

$305 ฿10.2K

383.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,787 CHF 2,295

$915 ฿30.6K

204.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,001

$552 ฿18.5K

339.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

719.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

750.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,693 CHF 5,513

$595 ฿19.9K

1024.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

5.57

-62.84%

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

Last update for Embrach: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Embrach

$1.5K 43.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 79.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Embrach

$585 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 59.3% $347

Eating Out

Embrach

$464 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 83% $385

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Embrach

$369 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 74.4% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Embrach

$242 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 54.8% $133

Getting Around

Embrach

$147 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 58.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Embrach

$133 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 61.5% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,685 in Embrach versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1025% higher in Embrach, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Embrach versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $585 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Embrach

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

5 h ahead of Embrach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,300

127,240

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Embrach
Chiang Mai

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

Embrach vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Embrach costs about 264% 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 $5,119 per month in Embrach and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,681 per month in Embrach and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 146% more in Embrach, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Embrach at $3,413. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Embrach it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,413 in Embrach. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Embrach makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.