Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aarau and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Phuket $2,867

Aarau costs about 131% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aarau sits 107% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$4.58 ฿153

534.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$32.48 ฿1,086

227.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$8.55 ฿286

106.20%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$2.72 ฿91.0

113.24%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$0.94 ฿31.25

455.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$0.49 ฿16.39

859.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$2.59 ฿86.6

137.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$3.83 ฿128

72.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.74 ฿58.1

17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$1.43 ฿47.82

153.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$1.53 ฿51.0

69.28%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$2.17 ฿72.7

232.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$19.15 ฿640

58.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$3.30 ฿110

789.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$11.14 ฿372

261.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$2.95 ฿98.5

-2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.68 ฿56.1

5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$2.30 ฿76.8

6.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$2.13 ฿71.3

158.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.53 ฿51.1

8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.36 ฿45.55

44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.12 ฿37.44

103.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$0.55 ฿18.24

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$4.26 ฿142

154.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$18.19 ฿608

-43.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.74 ฿58.2

43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$2.79 ฿93.3

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$2.22 ฿74.1

130.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$22.06 ฿737

562.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$2.91 ฿97.3

135.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$1.01 ฿33.79

228.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$3.83 ฿128

1435.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$1.49 ฿49.85

48.99%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

60.89%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

47.06%

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

$120 CHF 98.9

$99.4 ฿3,321

20.86%

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

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$11.28 ฿377

173.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$17.36 ฿580

220.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$52.3 ฿1,747

87.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$10.85 ฿362

448.85%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$7.57 ฿253

182.96%

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

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$558 ฿18.7K

464.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

182.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$62.9 ฿2,102

41.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$28.58 ฿955

147.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$96.1 ฿3,213

13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$88.1 ฿2,943

92.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$729 ฿24.4K

75.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$460 ฿15.4K

124.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$2,096 ฿70.0K

9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$1,222 ฿40.8K

73.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$2,489 ฿83.2K

376.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$493 ฿16.5K

1279.29%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 55.5% $573

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 54.5% $320

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 72.3% $317

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 38% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 37.1% $73

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 79.5% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 52.1% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau versus $729 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 1279% 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 $106 in Aarau versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

5 h ahead of Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

79,308

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Aarau Phuket 9,390 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
Phuket

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

Aarau vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 131% more than Phuket, 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 $4,191 per month in Aarau and $1,811 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 563% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $558 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 $1,207, than in Aarau at $2,794. 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 $1,207 versus $2,794 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.