Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Moritz and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,626 in St. Moritz, rent and utilities included – about $32,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

St. Moritz, Switzerland
Chiang Mai, Thailand
St. Moritz
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,626
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,626 per month in St. Moritz vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • St. Moritz $3,626
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $6,508 per month in St. Moritz vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • St. Moritz $6,508
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $9,390 per month in St. Moritz vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • St. Moritz $9,390
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

St. Moritz costs about 288% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

St. Moritz sits 166% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$34.20 CHF 28.35
$2.24 ฿75.7
1426.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$143 CHF 119
$19.00 ฿642
652.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.40 CHF 11.93
$5.55 ฿188
159.46%
Cappuccino
$5.90 CHF 4.89
$1.67 ฿56.6
253.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 CHF 4.59
$0.64 ฿21.56
765.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 CHF 3.82
$0.31 ฿10.32
1383.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.90 CHF 8.20
$2.36 ฿79.6
319.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.03 CHF 5.00
$3.66 ฿124
64.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 CHF 1.50
$1.95 ฿65.8
-7.18%
White Bread (500g)
$3.96 CHF 3.28
$1.44 ฿48.51
175.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.60 CHF 2.98
$1.33 ฿45.07
170.68%
Eggs
$7.67 CHF 6.36
$2.28 ฿77.1
236.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.09 CHF 22.45
$16.45 ฿556
64.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.89 CHF 23.95
$2.78 ฿94.0
939.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$60.5 CHF 50.2
$9.31 ฿314
549.95%
Apples (1kg)
$4.09 CHF 3.39
$2.35 ฿79.5
74.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 CHF 2.28
$0.97 ฿32.82
183.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.60 CHF 2.98
$1.60 ฿53.9
125.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 CHF 3.81
$1.50 ฿50.7
206.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 CHF 2.11
$1.28 ฿43.15
99.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 CHF 1.94
$1.10 ฿37.22
112.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.49 CHF 2.06
$0.71 ฿23.84
250.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 CHF 1.03
$0.49 ฿16.38
155.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.77 CHF 8.93
$4.14 ฿140
160.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.92 CHF 11.53
$17.52 ฿592
-20.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.88 CHF 2.38
$1.61 ฿54.5
78.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 CHF 2.66
$2.78 ฿94.0
15.47%
🚌 Getting Around
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.92 CHF 3.25
$0.87 ฿29.33
350.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.6 CHF 76.7
$54.1 ฿1,827
71.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.08 CHF 6.70
$1.16 ฿39.08
596.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.54 CHF 3.76
$0.53 ฿17.82
756.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$87.8 CHF 72.7
$2.42 ฿81.8
3526.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 CHF 1.77
$1.45 ฿48.93
47.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K CHF 32.0K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
83.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.6K CHF 32.8K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
47.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.8 CHF 80.3
$62.2 ฿2,100
55.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.12 CHF 32.42
$12.17 ฿411
221.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.8 CHF 45.38
$20.12 ฿680
172.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.0 CHF 60.5
$37.31 ฿1,260
95.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.96 CHF 15.71
$6.49 ฿219
192.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,402 CHF 2,820
$736 ฿24.9K
362.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$41.2K CHF 34.2K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
179.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$140 CHF 116
$53.4 ฿1,802
162.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.1 CHF 45.65
$24.64 ฿832
123.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$161 CHF 133
$91.5 ฿3,089
75.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$249 CHF 206
$71.9 ฿2,429
245.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,794 CHF 1,487
$482 ฿16.3K
271.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,753 CHF 1,453
$309 ฿10.4K
467.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,403 CHF 4,478
$1,006 ฿34.0K
437.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,730 CHF 3,921
$633 ฿21.4K
646.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.3K CHF 10.2K
$1,589 ฿53.7K
674.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
St. Moritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,889 CHF 4,052
$590 ฿19.9K
728.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.8
5.57
-67.68%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
St. Moritz
$1.8K
Chiang Mai
$309 82.4% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
St. Moritz
$670
Chiang Mai
$234 65% $436
Eating Out
St. Moritz
$490
Chiang Mai
$78 84.2% $412
Clothing & Footwear
St. Moritz
$272
Chiang Mai
$109 60.1% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
St. Moritz
$191
Chiang Mai
$94 50.5% $96
Getting Around
St. Moritz
$139
Chiang Mai
$61 55.9% $78
Sport & Entertainment
St. Moritz
$111
Chiang Mai
$50 54.7% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,794 in St. Moritz 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 St. Moritz are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $143 in St. Moritz versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $670 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 St. Moritz
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
15:03 3:03 PM
21:03 9:03 PM
6 h ahead of St. Moritz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,000
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • St. Moritz Chiang Mai 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • St. Moritz
  • 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
St. Moritz vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, St. Moritz or Chiang Mai?
St. Moritz costs about 288% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in St. Moritz and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,438 per month in St. Moritz and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, St. Moritz or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,794 in St. Moritz.
How do childcare costs compare in St. Moritz and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $3,402 per month in St. Moritz and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in St. Moritz or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 186% more in St. Moritz, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $800/month in St. Moritz or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,626 in St. Moritz and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to St. Moritz or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. Moritz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

St. Moritz vs other spots: cost of living compared

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