Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,139 in Schaffhausen, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,139

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Schaffhausen vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Schaffhausen $3,139
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Schaffhausen vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Schaffhausen $5,010
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $6,882 per month in Schaffhausen vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Schaffhausen $6,882
Chiang Mai $1,979

Schaffhausen costs about 236% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Schaffhausen sits 131% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 25.11

$2.24 ฿75.6

1259.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$19.00 ฿641

542.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.19 CHF 15.01

$5.55 ฿187

227.75%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.96

$1.67 ฿56.5

259.88%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.39

$0.64 ฿21.54

731.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.94

$0.31 ฿10.31

1441.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 CHF 6.92

$2.36 ฿79.5

255.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CHF 5.86

$3.66 ฿124

94.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$1.95 ฿65.7

10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 CHF 3.30

$1.44 ฿48.46

177.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.51

$1.33 ฿45.03

219.55%

Eggs

$7.81 CHF 6.44

$2.28 ฿77.1

242.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.90 CHF 23.02

$16.45 ฿555

69.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.45 CHF 25.12

$2.78 ฿93.9

995.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 CHF 35.19

$9.31 ฿314

358.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.17

$2.35 ฿79.4

63.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$0.97 ฿32.79

113.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.62

$1.60 ฿53.9

98.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 CHF 4.53

$1.50 ฿50.6

266.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.96

$1.28 ฿43.11

85.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.10 ฿37.18

94.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.90

$0.71 ฿23.82

225.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.95

$0.49 ฿16.36

136.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 CHF 8.92

$4.14 ฿140

161.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.90

$17.52 ฿591

-31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$1.61 ฿54.5

79.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 CHF 2.96

$2.78 ฿93.9

29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.30

$0.87 ฿29.30

360.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 CHF 80.8

$54.1 ฿1,825

81.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 CHF 5.04

$1.16 ฿39.04

425.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$0.53 ฿17.80

439.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 CHF 49.15

$2.42 ฿81.7

2361.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.45 ฿48.88

53.10%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

82.13%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

46.31%

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

$229 CHF 189

$62.2 ฿2,098

268.81%

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

$28.98 CHF 23.90

$12.17 ฿411

138.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CHF 51.1

$20.12 ฿679

208.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 CHF 90.7

$37.31 ฿1,259

194.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.19

$3.77 ฿127

1128.12%

Cinema Ticket

$23.59 CHF 19.46

$6.49 ฿219

263.48%

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

$3,157 CHF 2,604

$736 ฿24.8K

328.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CHF 20.2K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

65.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$163 CHF 134

$53.4 ฿1,801

204.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 45.25

$24.64 ฿831

122.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 142

$91.5 ฿3,087

87.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 CHF 124

$71.9 ฿2,427

108.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CHF 1,049

$482 ฿16.3K

163.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 CHF 983

$309 ฿10.4K

285.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 CHF 2,218

$1,006 ฿33.9K

167.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 CHF 1,911

$633 ฿21.4K

265.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 CHF 6,690

$2,363 ฿79.7K

243.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,439 CHF 6,961

$1,589 ฿53.6K

431.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,148 CHF 5,896

$590 ฿19.9K

1112.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.41

5.57

-56.73%

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

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 38%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 74.1% $883

Groceries & Markets

Schaffhausen

$626 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 62.5% $391

Eating Out

Schaffhausen

$467 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 83.4% $389

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaffhausen

$320 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 70.5% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Schaffhausen

$243 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 55.2% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Schaffhausen

$157 5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 68% $107

Getting Around

Schaffhausen

$134 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 54.4% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,272 in Schaffhausen 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 Schaffhausen are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Schaffhausen versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $626 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

14:48 2:48 PM

6 h ahead of Schaffhausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,927

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

Schaffhausen Chiang Mai 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Schaffhausen
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

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

Schaffhausen costs about 236% 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 $4,709 per month in Schaffhausen 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 $1,272 in Schaffhausen.

Kindergarten costs $3,157 per month in Schaffhausen 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 167% more in Schaffhausen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Schaffhausen 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, Schaffhausen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.