Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kriens and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $3,154 in Kriens, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Kriens
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Kriens Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kriens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,154

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,154 per month in Kriens vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kriens $3,154
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $4,836 per month in Kriens vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kriens $4,836
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $6,518 per month in Kriens vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kriens $6,518
Chiang Mai $1,999

Kriens costs about 237% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kriens sits 133% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.66 CHF 24.21

$2.13 ฿71.7

1292.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 86.4

$18.62 ฿625

468.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.11 CHF 14.79

$5.60 ฿188

223.39%

Cappuccino

$5.92 CHF 4.83

$1.66 ฿55.9

256.63%

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

$5.13 CHF 4.19

$0.65 ฿21.73

689.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.91

$0.30 ฿10.24

1493.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$2.32 ฿78.0

160.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CHF 5.86

$3.67 ฿123

95.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.68

$2.02 ฿67.7

1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 CHF 3.00

$1.41 ฿47.29

160.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$1.39 ฿46.75

95.68%

Eggs

$7.91 CHF 6.45

$2.37 ฿79.5

233.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.84 CHF 22.73

$16.52 ฿555

68.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.26 CHF 25.52

$2.67 ฿89.7

1070.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.79 CHF 34.12

$9.02 ฿303

363.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.45

$2.40 ฿80.6

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 CHF 1.47

$1.04 ฿34.98

73.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.01

$1.66 ฿55.7

48.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 CHF 4.44

$1.56 ฿52.4

248.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CHF 1.43

$1.24 ฿41.57

41.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 CHF 1.67

$1.09 ฿36.50

88.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$0.76 ฿25.59

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CHF 1.11

$0.51 ฿17.27

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.91

$4.12 ฿138

164.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 CHF 8.33

$17.93 ฿602

-43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 CHF 2.11

$1.62 ฿54.5

59.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 CHF 2.32

$2.82 ฿94.8

0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 CHF 3.68

$0.93 ฿31.39

384.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CHF 71.4

$52.9 ฿1,777

65.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 CHF 5.82

$1.18 ฿39.52

504.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.94 CHF 4.85

$0.17 ฿5.76

3394.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.66 CHF 29.93

$1.81 ฿60.9

1925.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 CHF 1.96

$1.47 ฿49.47

63.27%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$21.0K ฿705.8K

89.84%

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

$39.2K CHF 32.0K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

47.95%

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

$124 CHF 101

$62.6 ฿2,101

97.99%

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

$37.81 CHF 30.87

$11.60 ฿390

225.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CHF 46.48

$20.30 ฿682

180.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.9 CHF 60.4

$37.88 ฿1,272

95.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.83 CHF 33.34

$3.70 ฿124

1003.51%

Cinema Ticket

$21.90 CHF 17.88

$6.51 ฿219

236.41%

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

$3,213 CHF 2,623

$727 ฿24.4K

341.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.4K CHF 33.8K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

149.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 CHF 73.6

$53.5 ฿1,798

68.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 CHF 56.2

$24.80 ฿833

177.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 CHF 89.6

$90.4 ฿3,036

21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 CHF 140

$72.0 ฿2,418

139.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 CHF 1,604

$481 ฿16.2K

308.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 CHF 1,166

$310 ฿10.4K

360.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,559 CHF 2,089

$1,058 ฿35.5K

141.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 CHF 1,943

$659 ฿22.1K

261.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K CHF 11.0K

$2,418 ฿81.2K

455.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,706 CHF 7,924

$1,609 ฿54.0K

503.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

5.57

-65.89%

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

Last update for Kriens: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kriens

$1.4K 45.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 78.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Kriens

$602 19.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 60.7% $365

Eating Out

Kriens

$447 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 82.9% $370

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kriens

$219 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 56.8% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Kriens

$198 6.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 45.4% $90

Getting Around

Kriens

$142 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 58.8% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Kriens

$118 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 56.8% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,965 in Kriens versus $481 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 $106 in Kriens versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $602 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Kriens

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

6 h ahead of Kriens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,932

127,240

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

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).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kriens Chiang Mai 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Kriens
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

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

Kriens costs about 237% 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 $4,730 per month in Kriens and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,965 in Kriens.

Kindergarten costs $3,213 per month in Kriens and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 154% more in Kriens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,154 in Kriens and $935 in Chiang Mai. 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 70% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.