Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meilen and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,386 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,386

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,386 per month in Meilen vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Meilen $3,386
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $5,977 per month in Meilen vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Meilen $5,977
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $8,568 per month in Meilen vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Meilen $8,568
Chiang Mai $1,979

Meilen costs about 262% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meilen sits 149% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.96 CHF 27.19

$2.24 ฿75.6

1371.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 98.8

$19.00 ฿641

530.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.48 CHF 13.60

$5.55 ฿187

196.94%

Cappuccino

$6.36 CHF 5.24

$1.67 ฿56.5

280.84%

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

$5.76 CHF 4.75

$0.64 ฿21.54

800.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 CHF 4.33

$0.31 ฿10.31

1593.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.63 CHF 7.12

$2.36 ฿79.5

265.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.56 CHF 7.06

$3.66 ฿124

133.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$1.95 ฿65.7

11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$1.44 ฿48.46

137.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CHF 3.08

$1.33 ฿45.03

181.20%

Eggs

$7.85 CHF 6.48

$2.28 ฿77.1

244.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.09 CHF 21.52

$16.45 ฿555

58.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.84 CHF 21.32

$2.78 ฿93.9

829.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.94 CHF 32.94

$9.31 ฿314

329.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 CHF 2.88

$2.35 ฿79.4

48.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.74

$0.97 ฿32.79

117.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.24

$1.60 ฿53.9

69.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$1.50 ฿50.6

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$1.28 ฿43.11

61.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$1.10 ฿37.18

98.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CHF 1.94

$0.71 ฿23.82

232.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 1.04

$0.49 ฿16.36

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 9.12

$4.14 ฿140

166.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.29 CHF 10.96

$17.52 ฿591

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CHF 1.85

$1.61 ฿54.5

39.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CHF 2.60

$2.78 ฿93.9

13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 CHF 3.65

$0.87 ฿29.30

409.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CHF 84.2

$54.1 ฿1,825

88.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 CHF 6.30

$1.16 ฿39.04

558.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$0.53 ฿17.80

749.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.5 CHF 72.2

$2.42 ฿81.7

3516.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$1.45 ฿48.88

51.03%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

83.52%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

44.62%

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

$234 CHF 193

$62.2 ฿2,098

276.11%

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

$38.39 CHF 31.67

$12.17 ฿411

215.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 CHF 53.3

$20.12 ฿679

220.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.9 CHF 75.0

$37.31 ฿1,259

143.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.64 CHF 37.65

$3.77 ฿127

1110.61%

Cinema Ticket

$23.65 CHF 19.51

$6.49 ฿219

264.41%

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

$2,822 CHF 2,328

$736 ฿24.8K

283.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K CHF 35.2K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

188.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 CHF 114

$53.4 ฿1,801

158.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 CHF 47.96

$24.64 ฿831

135.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 CHF 120

$91.5 ฿3,087

58.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 CHF 144

$71.9 ฿2,427

142.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 CHF 1,466

$482 ฿16.3K

268.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,207

$309 ฿10.4K

373.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,894 CHF 2,388

$1,006 ฿33.9K

187.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,088 CHF 3,372

$633 ฿21.4K

545.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

593.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

693.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,262 CHF 6,815

$590 ฿19.9K

1300.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

5.57

-69.12%

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

Last update for Meilen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Meilen

$1.5K 43.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 78.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Meilen

$572 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 59.1% $338

Eating Out

Meilen

$494 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 84.3% $416

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meilen

$337 10%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Meilen

$232 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 53.2% $124

Getting Around

Meilen

$150 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 59% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Meilen

$138 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 63.6% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,778 in Meilen 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 Meilen are about 14 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in Meilen versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $572 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Meilen

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

06:17 6:17 AM

6 h ahead of Meilen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,515

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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Between locations

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

From you

Meilen
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

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

Meilen costs about 262% 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 $5,079 per month in Meilen 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 $1,778 in Meilen.

Kindergarten costs $2,822 per month in Meilen 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 144% more in Meilen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,386 in Meilen 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, Meilen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.