Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fribourg and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,310 in Fribourg, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fribourg 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 Fribourg and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,310 per month in Fribourg vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fribourg $3,310
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,866 per month in Fribourg vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fribourg $4,866
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $6,423 per month in Fribourg vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Fribourg $6,423
Chiang Mai $1,914

Fribourg costs about 253% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fribourg sits 145% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.10 CHF 24.79

$2.26 ฿75.4

1231.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.0

$19.18 ฿641

514.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 CHF 12.58

$5.59 ฿187

173.17%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 5.06

$1.72 ฿57.6

256.98%

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

$4.89 CHF 4.03

$0.64 ฿21.54

664.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 CHF 4.22

$0.33 ฿11.18

1451.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 CHF 5.91

$2.36 ฿78.7

204.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CHF 5.31

$3.90 ฿130

65.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$2.05 ฿68.6

4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.59

$1.40 ฿46.70

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.89

$1.28 ฿42.89

174.22%

Eggs

$7.23 CHF 5.96

$2.25 ฿75.3

221.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.79 CHF 19.60

$16.94 ฿566

40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.77 CHF 20.40

$2.74 ฿91.6

804.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.43 CHF 30.01

$9.36 ฿313

289.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$2.40 ฿80.3

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$1.01 ฿33.92

66.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$1.61 ฿53.9

52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$1.52 ฿50.7

192.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.47

$1.28 ฿42.90

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.70

$1.11 ฿37.22

86.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$0.72 ฿24.09

211.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.01

$0.52 ฿17.54

136.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.04

$4.33 ฿145

153.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 CHF 8.40

$17.73 ฿593

-42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CHF 2.84

$1.63 ฿54.4

111.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$2.85 ฿95.3

-18.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$0.85 ฿28.31

320.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 70.6

$53.9 ฿1,801

59.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 CHF 8.10

$1.17 ฿39.18

741.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$0.57 ฿19.00

605.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.4 CHF 59.7

$2.37 ฿79.2

2956.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.45 ฿48.32

55.86%

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

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

103.66%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

46.42%

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

$336 CHF 277

$62.3 ฿2,083

439.53%

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

$40.26 CHF 33.16

$12.27 ฿410

228.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CHF 46.31

$19.97 ฿668

181.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 CHF 48.39

$37.91 ฿1,267

55.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 CHF 24.56

$3.76 ฿126

693.09%

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.50

$6.71 ฿224

216.54%

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

$1,762 CHF 1,451

$797 ฿26.6K

121.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

141.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 CHF 83.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

89.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CHF 46.97

$25.05 ฿837

127.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$91.6 ฿3,062

73.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 156

$73.5 ฿2,455

157.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 CHF 1,293

$464 ฿15.5K

238.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 CHF 1,181

$305 ฿10.2K

370.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 CHF 2,018

$915 ฿30.6K

167.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CHF 1,792

$552 ฿18.5K

293.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

975.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

854.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,808 CHF 5,607

$595 ฿19.9K

1043.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

5.57

-58.53%

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

Last update for Fribourg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 78.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Fribourg

$536 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 55.6% $298

Eating Out

Fribourg

$449 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 82.4% $370

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fribourg

$433 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 78.1% $338

Clothing & Footwear

Fribourg

$228 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 51.9% $118

Getting Around

Fribourg

$130 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 52.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Fribourg

$101 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 49.3% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Fribourg 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 1044% higher in Fribourg, 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 $118 in Fribourg versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

16:29 4:29 PM

5 h ahead of Fribourg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,485

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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Highest

Between locations

Fribourg Chiang Mai 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Fribourg
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

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

Fribourg costs about 253% 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 $4,965 per month in Fribourg 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 $1,762 per month in Fribourg 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 125% more in Fribourg, 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 Fribourg at $3,310. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fribourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,310 in Fribourg. 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, Fribourg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.