Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,727 per month in St. Gallen vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,400 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,074 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

St. Gallen costs about 293% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St. Gallen sits 171% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.15 CHF 24.52

$2.08 ฿69.2

1349.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$19.64 ฿651

655.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.21

$5.65 ฿188

231.15%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 5.01

$1.81 ฿59.9

240.33%

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

$6.01 CHF 4.89

$0.71 ฿23.66

746.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.37

$0.32 ฿10.48

1581.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 CHF 7.37

$2.24 ฿74.2

304.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.19

$3.63 ฿121

75.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$1.96 ฿65.0

12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.56

$1.50 ฿49.83

110.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.09

$1.34 ฿44.32

183.58%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.33

$2.26 ฿75.1

244.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.42 CHF 20.67

$16.26 ฿539

56.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.72 CHF 23.35

$2.95 ฿98.0

873.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.92 CHF 33.27

$9.94 ฿330

311.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.58

$2.57 ฿85.3

23.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$1.06 ฿35.04

48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.98

$1.61 ฿53.5

50.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 CHF 4.98

$1.52 ฿50.4

302.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.44

$1.27 ฿42.14

39.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$1.07 ฿35.37

104.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$0.72 ฿23.89

218.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.98

$0.51 ฿16.87

137.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.06

$4.19 ฿139

166.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.38

$17.87 ฿593

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.69 ฿56.2

32.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$2.84 ฿94.1

-14.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 CHF 3.46

$0.93 ฿30.70

358.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 CHF 107

$53.9 ฿1,787

144.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 CHF 5.41

$1.23 ฿40.95

441.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.84 CHF 3.94

$0.58 ฿19.13

734.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.0 CHF 66.6

$2.42 ฿80.4

3287.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.41 ฿46.84

63.83%

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

$36.3K CHF 29.5K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

69.42%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

48.91%

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

$322 CHF 262

$63.7 ฿2,112

406.31%

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

$39.10 CHF 31.78

$12.85 ฿426

204.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 44.73

$20.22 ฿671

172.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.1 CHF 66.8

$38.74 ฿1,285

112.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.8 CHF 80.4

$3.97 ฿132

2389.67%

Cinema Ticket

$31.40 CHF 25.53

$6.74 ฿223

365.88%

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

$2,390 CHF 1,943

$778 ฿25.8K

207.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

123.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 CHF 122

$54.3 ฿1,801

176.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 52.7

$25.45 ฿844

154.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$94.3 ฿3,129

55.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 CHF 148

$73.4 ฿2,436

147.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 CHF 1,461

$490 ฿16.2K

266.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,405

$289 ฿9,596

497.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,898 CHF 2,356

$894 ฿29.6K

224.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CHF 1,818

$517 ฿17.1K

332.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

536.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,216 CHF 7,492

$1,477 ฿49.0K

524.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,049 CHF 5,731

$602 ฿20.0K

1070.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,797 in St. Gallen versus $490 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 1071% higher in St. Gallen, 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 $148 in St. Gallen versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $581 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

St. Gallen vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen costs about 293% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $5,591 per month in St. Gallen and $1,421 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 $2,390 per month in St. Gallen and $778 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 141% more in St. Gallen, 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 $947, than in St. Gallen at $3,727. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Gallen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $947 versus $3,727 in St. Gallen. 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, St. Gallen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.