Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Buchs and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,379 in Buchs versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,057 in Buchs versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,734 in Buchs versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Buchs is roughly 168% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buchs is 153% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.39 CHF 23.93

$4.53 ฿153

548.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 CHF 106

$46.36 ฿1,565

181.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 CHF 9.68

$8.65 ฿292

37.46%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CHF 2.91

$3.09 ฿104

15.53%

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

$2.52 CHF 2.05

$0.68 ฿22.89

270.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 CHF 1.70

$0.37 ฿12.44

464.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$2.42 ฿81.6

85.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.26

$3.81 ฿129

37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 CHF 1.42

$2.18 ฿73.5

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 CHF 2.47

$1.82 ฿61.3

66.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.43

$2.18 ฿73.5

93.58%

Eggs

$5.07 CHF 4.12

$2.24 ฿75.4

126.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.56 CHF 24.88

$19.93 ฿673

53.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.87 CHF 12.11

$3.64 ฿123

308.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 41.17

$13.56 ฿458

272.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.10

$3.29 ฿111

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.66

$1.69 ฿56.9

20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.32

$2.33 ฿78.8

22.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 CHF 5.26

$2.03 ฿68.4

218.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$1.60 ฿54.0

49.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$1.49 ฿50.5

60.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 CHF 2.18

$1.01 ฿34.17

165.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.04

$0.48 ฿16.09

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.15

$4.45 ฿150

152.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 CHF 10.48

$18.63 ฿629

-30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$1.79 ฿60.3

33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.69

$2.80 ฿94.4

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 CHF 2.04

$1.42 ฿47.90

76.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 CHF 70.9

$11.33 ฿382

668.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 CHF 6.46

$3.09 ฿104

156.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.55 CHF 2.89

$1.04 ฿35.19

241.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 CHF 72.8

$13.63 ฿460

556.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.73

$1.31 ฿44.23

61.83%

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

$31.3K CHF 25.5K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

14.58%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

29.23%

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

$183 CHF 149

$123 ฿4,157

48.56%

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

$43.01 CHF 35.02

$13.81 ฿466

211.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.32

$18.52 ฿625

200.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$146 CHF 119

$60.4 ฿2,037

142.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 CHF 14.11

$16.80 ฿567

3.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 CHF 12.01

$8.89 ฿300

65.92%

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

$2,961 CHF 2,411

$687 ฿23.2K

331.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K CHF 26.8K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

111.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 115

$57.6 ฿1,945

144.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.1 CHF 62.7

$34.66 ฿1,170

122.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 CHF 109

$115 ฿3,879

16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 CHF 129

$84.9 ฿2,865

86.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,850 CHF 1,506

$618 ฿20.8K

199.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 CHF 1,293

$443 ฿15.0K

258.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 CHF 2,234

$2,047 ฿69.1K

34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 CHF 2,032

$1,506 ฿50.8K

65.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,815 CHF 7,177

$503 ฿17.0K

1653.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-62.48%

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

Last update for Buchs: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,850 in Buchs and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 1653% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $131 in Buchs vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Buchs vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buchs and Phuket differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($3,379 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1653% higher in Buchs, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,850 in Buchs versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $131 in Buchs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,379 per month in Buchs versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,379 in Buchs, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Buchs. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buchs and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.