Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,297 in Glarus, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Glarus
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Glarus Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Glarus

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,297

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,297 per month in Glarus vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Glarus $3,297
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $4,996 per month in Glarus vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Glarus $4,996
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $6,696 per month in Glarus vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Glarus $6,696
Chiang Mai $1,914

Glarus costs about 251% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Glarus sits 144% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.24 CHF 24.08

$2.26 ฿75.4

1193.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 100

$19.18 ฿641

534.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.09 CHF 14.07

$5.59 ฿187

205.72%

Cappuccino

$5.88 CHF 4.84

$1.72 ฿57.6

241.86%

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

$3.76 CHF 3.10

$0.64 ฿21.54

487.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 CHF 3.15

$0.33 ฿11.18

1057.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 CHF 7.50

$2.36 ฿78.7

286.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 5.15

$3.90 ฿130

60.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$2.05 ฿68.6

7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CHF 2.58

$1.40 ฿46.70

124.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$1.28 ฿42.89

120.31%

Eggs

$7.70 CHF 6.34

$2.25 ฿75.3

242.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 CHF 7.06

$16.94 ฿566

-49.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.56 CHF 11.99

$2.74 ฿91.6

431.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 CHF 31.01

$9.36 ฿313

302.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.51

$2.40 ฿80.3

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CHF 1.27

$1.01 ฿33.92

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.98

$1.61 ฿53.9

49.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 CHF 4.46

$1.52 ฿50.7

255.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.35

$1.28 ฿42.90

28.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CHF 1.72

$1.11 ฿37.22

88.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$0.72 ฿24.09

204.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.97

$0.52 ฿17.54

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 9.06

$4.33 ฿145

154.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 CHF 9.25

$17.73 ฿593

-36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$1.63 ฿54.4

31.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$2.85 ฿95.3

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.89 CHF 4.85

$0.85 ฿28.31

592.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$221 CHF 182

$53.9 ฿1,801

309.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 CHF 5.36

$1.17 ฿39.18

455.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.71 CHF 3.88

$0.57 ฿19.00

726.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.2 CHF 63.6

$2.37 ฿79.2

3157.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.79

$1.45 ฿48.32

50.34%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

67.63%

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

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

49.28%

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

$311 CHF 256

$62.3 ฿2,083

398.64%

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

$38.06 CHF 31.35

$12.27 ฿410

210.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 CHF 44.03

$19.97 ฿668

167.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$160 CHF 132

$37.91 ฿1,267

321.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.77 CHF 34.40

$3.76 ฿126

1010.90%

Cinema Ticket

$25.57 CHF 21.06

$6.71 ฿224

281.07%

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

$2,254 CHF 1,857

$797 ฿26.6K

182.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K CHF 26.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

113.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 CHF 84.5

$53.3 ฿1,780

92.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 CHF 34.46

$25.05 ฿837

67.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 CHF 108

$91.6 ฿3,062

43.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CHF 79.4

$73.5 ฿2,455

31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 CHF 1,380

$464 ฿15.5K

261.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CHF 1,120

$305 ฿10.2K

346.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,950 CHF 2,430

$915 ฿30.6K

222.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,306 CHF 1,899

$552 ฿18.5K

317.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for Glarus: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glarus

$1.4K 41.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 77.6% $1.1K

Eating Out

Glarus

$444 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 82.2% $365

Groceries & Markets

Glarus

$438 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 45.7% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glarus

$402 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 76.5% $308

Getting Around

Glarus

$274 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 77.7% $213

Sport & Entertainment

Glarus

$211 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 75.7% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Glarus

$167 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 34.6% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,676 in Glarus 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Glarus versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Glarus

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

14:21 2:21 PM

5 h ahead of Glarus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,500

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

Glarus Chiang Mai 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Glarus
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

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

Glarus costs about 251% 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 $4,945 per month in Glarus 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 $2,254 per month in Glarus 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 84% more in Glarus, 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 Glarus at $3,297. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glarus it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,297 in Glarus. 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, Glarus makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.