Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riehen and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $3,372 in Riehen, rent and utilities included – about $29,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
Learn more

Riehen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,372 per month in Riehen vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Riehen $3,372
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $5,084 per month in Riehen vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Riehen $5,084
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $6,797 per month in Riehen vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Riehen $6,797
Chiang Mai $1,914

Riehen costs about 259% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Riehen sits 150% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.55 CHF 24.34

$2.26 ฿75.4

1207.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 98.5

$19.18 ฿641

523.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.72 CHF 12.94

$5.59 ฿187

181.22%

Cappuccino

$6.21 CHF 5.11

$1.72 ฿57.6

261.05%

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

$4.98 CHF 4.10

$0.64 ฿21.54

678.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 CHF 4.33

$0.33 ฿11.18

1493.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 CHF 5.89

$2.36 ฿78.7

202.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 CHF 5.41

$3.90 ฿130

68.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CHF 1.75

$2.05 ฿68.6

3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CHF 2.59

$1.40 ฿46.70

124.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.89

$1.28 ฿42.89

174.22%

Eggs

$7.13 CHF 5.87

$2.25 ฿75.3

216.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.83 CHF 20.45

$16.94 ฿566

46.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.86 CHF 20.48

$2.74 ฿91.6

807.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.07 CHF 30.53

$9.36 ฿313

296.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$2.40 ฿80.3

46.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CHF 1.33

$1.01 ฿33.92

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 CHF 2.07

$1.61 ฿53.9

55.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 CHF 3.59

$1.52 ฿50.7

186.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.28 ฿42.90

39.06%

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)

$1.23 CHF 1.02

$0.52 ฿17.54

136.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.99

$4.33 ฿145

151.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 CHF 8.56

$17.73 ฿593

-41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 CHF 2.87

$1.63 ฿54.4

113.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$2.85 ฿95.3

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$0.85 ฿28.31

423.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 81.2

$53.9 ฿1,801

82.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 CHF 8.11

$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)

$73.6 CHF 60.6

$2.37 ฿79.2

3003.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$1.45 ฿48.32

50.34%

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

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

102.50%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

48.05%

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

$339 CHF 280

$62.3 ฿2,083

444.62%

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

$41.49 CHF 34.17

$12.27 ฿410

238.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 CHF 46.59

$19.97 ฿668

183.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 CHF 73.1

$37.91 ฿1,267

134.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.01 CHF 37.07

$3.76 ฿126

1097.07%

Cinema Ticket

$21.40 CHF 17.63

$6.71 ฿224

218.93%

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

$1,786 CHF 1,471

$797 ฿26.6K

124.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K CHF 30.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

147.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 CHF 84.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

91.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CHF 46.94

$25.05 ฿837

127.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$165 CHF 136

$91.6 ฿3,062

80.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 151

$73.5 ฿2,455

149.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 CHF 1,384

$464 ฿15.5K

262.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$305 ฿10.2K

372.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,422 CHF 2,819

$915 ฿30.6K

273.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 CHF 1,992

$552 ฿18.5K

337.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

719.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,867

$1,438 ฿48.1K

732.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,642 CHF 7,118

$595 ฿19.9K

1351.99%

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 Riehen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riehen

$1.4K 42.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 78.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Riehen

$540 16%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 56% $302

Eating Out

Riehen

$448 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 82.4% $369

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riehen

$438 13%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 78.4% $343

Clothing & Footwear

Riehen

$228 6.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 52% $119

Getting Around

Riehen

$146 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 58.1% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Riehen

$132 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 61% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,680 in Riehen 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 1352% higher in Riehen, 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 $120 in Riehen versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $540 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Riehen

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

14:21 2:21 PM

5 h ahead of Riehen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,970

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Riehen Chiang Mai 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Riehen
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

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

Riehen costs about 259% 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 $5,057 per month in Riehen 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 $1,786 per month in Riehen 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 127% more in Riehen, 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 Riehen at $3,372. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riehen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $3,372 in Riehen. 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, Riehen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.