Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,825 per month in Aarau vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,712 per month in Aarau vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,599 per month in Aarau vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Aarau costs about 125% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Aarau sits 106% above the global median, while Phuket is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.44 CHF 24.75

$4.56 ฿151

567.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 CHF 87.9

$32.62 ฿1,082

231.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.92 CHF 15.38

$8.90 ฿295

112.58%

Cappuccino

$5.89 CHF 4.79

$2.80 ฿93.0

110.36%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.32

$0.88 ฿29.19

504.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 CHF 4.00

$0.49 ฿16.23

906.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CHF 4.92

$2.39 ฿79.2

153.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 CHF 5.39

$3.71 ฿123

78.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.70

$1.79 ฿59.3

17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.19

$1.44 ฿47.81

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$1.58 ฿52.6

73.42%

Eggs

$7.61 CHF 6.19

$2.13 ฿70.5

257.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.31 CHF 26.27

$19.92 ฿661

62.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.77 CHF 25.02

$3.43 ฿114

797.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.70 CHF 33.90

$11.33 ฿376

268.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.42

$2.95 ฿97.8

0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.47

$1.72 ฿57.1

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$2.32 ฿77.1

8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 CHF 4.82

$2.08 ฿69.0

184.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.45

$1.47 ฿48.77

21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.62

$1.36 ฿45.05

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.10 ฿36.45

110.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.97

$0.57 ฿19.06

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.34 CHF 9.22

$4.27 ฿142

165.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 CHF 8.46

$18.42 ฿611

-43.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CHF 2.16

$1.87 ฿62.1

41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CHF 2.45

$2.92 ฿96.9

3.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.25 CHF 4.27

$2.22 ฿73.6

136.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 CHF 122

$22.90 ฿759

555.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 CHF 5.98

$3.03 ฿101

142.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.36 CHF 2.73

$1.07 ฿35.63

214.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 CHF 51.3

$3.93 ฿130

1504.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$1.49 ฿49.49

52.35%

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

$44.2K CHF 36.0K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

63.01%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.8K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

46.88%

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

$125 CHF 102

$103 ฿3,410

21.65%

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

$32.27 CHF 26.24

$10.99 ฿365

193.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 46.79

$17.51 ฿581

228.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.9 CHF 80.4

$53.5 ฿1,776

84.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$62.0 CHF 50.4

$11.20 ฿371

453.75%

Cinema Ticket

$22.11 CHF 17.97

$7.48 ฿248

195.59%

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

$3,186 CHF 2,590

$557 ฿18.5K

472.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K CHF 20.1K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

108.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 CHF 75.2

$64.1 ฿2,125

44.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.1 CHF 61.0

$29.07 ฿964

158.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 CHF 90.9

$96.0 ฿3,183

16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 CHF 139

$90.3 ฿2,997

88.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CHF 1,049

$730 ฿24.2K

76.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 CHF 853

$500 ฿16.6K

109.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 CHF 1,877

$2,090 ฿69.3K

10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 CHF 1,771

$1,209 ฿40.1K

80.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K CHF 8,414

$3,596 ฿119.3K

187.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,928

$2,512 ฿83.3K

386.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,161 CHF 5,822

$503 ฿16.7K

1322.67%

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 Aarau: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,291 in Aarau versus $730 in Phuket. 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 1323% higher in Aarau, 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 $108 in Aarau versus $33.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $616 vs $273 – making Phuket 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

Aarau vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 125% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,237 per month in Aarau and $1,880 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 556% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,186 per month in Aarau and $557 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,253, than in Aarau at $2,825. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,253 versus $2,825 in Aarau. 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.