Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in La Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,952

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 La Chaux-de-Fonds and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,952 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $2,952
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $4,738 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $4,738
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $6,524 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds $6,524
Chiang Mai $1,979

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 215% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

La Chaux-de-Fonds sits 117% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.18 CHF 19.95

$2.24 ฿75.6

979.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 CHF 68.8

$19.00 ฿641

338.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.79 CHF 14.68

$5.55 ฿187

220.54%

Cappuccino

$4.54 CHF 3.74

$1.67 ฿56.5

171.86%

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

$3.54 CHF 2.92

$0.64 ฿21.54

453.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 CHF 3.79

$0.31 ฿10.31

1380.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 CHF 6.13

$2.36 ฿79.5

214.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CHF 5.10

$3.66 ฿124

69.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$1.95 ฿65.7

17.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CHF 2.51

$1.44 ฿48.46

111.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CHF 2.71

$1.33 ฿45.03

146.62%

Eggs

$7.83 CHF 6.46

$2.28 ฿77.1

243.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.31 CHF 21.70

$16.45 ฿555

59.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.70 CHF 22.85

$2.78 ฿93.9

896.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.41 CHF 34.16

$9.31 ฿314

344.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$2.35 ฿79.4

51.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$0.97 ฿32.79

129.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CHF 2.44

$1.60 ฿53.9

85.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.92

$1.50 ฿50.6

216.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.28 ฿43.11

32.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$1.10 ฿37.18

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$0.71 ฿23.82

216.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CHF 1.29

$0.49 ฿16.36

220.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 CHF 9.16

$4.14 ฿140

168.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 CHF 10.12

$17.52 ฿591

-29.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CHF 2.02

$1.61 ฿54.5

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CHF 2.54

$2.78 ฿93.9

10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 CHF 3.59

$0.87 ฿29.30

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 83.4

$54.1 ฿1,825

86.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 CHF 6.67

$1.16 ฿39.04

597.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$0.53 ฿17.80

786.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.6 CHF 71.5

$2.42 ฿81.7

3479.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$1.45 ฿48.88

62.07%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

88.80%

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

$40.1K CHF 33.1K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

48.82%

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

$289 CHF 239

$62.2 ฿2,098

365.14%

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

$45.95 CHF 37.91

$12.17 ฿411

277.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 CHF 51.8

$20.12 ฿679

212.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CHF 60.7

$37.31 ฿1,259

97.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.67 CHF 38.50

$3.77 ฿127

1137.93%

Cinema Ticket

$22.60 CHF 18.64

$6.49 ฿219

248.23%

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

$2,918 CHF 2,407

$736 ฿24.8K

296.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K CHF 17.0K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

39.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$53.4 ฿1,801

169.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.8 CHF 64.2

$24.64 ฿831

215.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 134

$91.5 ฿3,087

77.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 CHF 165

$71.9 ฿2,427

177.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CHF 1,209

$482 ฿16.3K

203.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 CHF 868

$309 ฿10.4K

240.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,857 CHF 3,181

$1,006 ฿33.9K

283.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 CHF 1,916

$633 ฿21.4K

266.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.8K CHF 13.9K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

610.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

677.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,123 CHF 4,226

$590 ฿19.9K

768.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

5.57

-56.55%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$1.1K 35.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 70.7% $744

Groceries & Markets

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$586 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 60% $352

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$398 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 76.3% $304

Eating Out

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$383 13%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 79.8% $306

Clothing & Footwear

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$263 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 58.6% $154

Getting Around

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$150 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 59.1% $89

Sport & Entertainment

La Chaux-de-Fonds

$119 4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 57.7% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,465 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $482 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 in La Chaux-de-Fonds are about 8.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $586 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 La Chaux-de-Fonds

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

6 h ahead of La Chaux-de-Fonds

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,027

127,240

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

La Chaux-de-Fonds Chiang Mai 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

La Chaux-de-Fonds
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

La Chaux-de-Fonds vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 215% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,427 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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 $482 there versus $1,465 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Kindergarten costs $2,918 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 150% more in La Chaux-de-Fonds, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,952 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $936 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.

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