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: $3,131 in Buchs versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,705 in Buchs versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,279 in Buchs versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Buchs is roughly 150% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buchs is 128% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.41 CHF 19.75

$4.56 ฿150

435.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 CHF 71.0

$32.62 ฿1,072

169.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.70 CHF 12.70

$8.90 ฿293

76.40%

Cappuccino

$4.65 CHF 3.77

$2.80 ฿92.2

66.07%

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

$3.99 CHF 3.23

$0.88 ฿28.93

353.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CHF 2.64

$0.49 ฿16.08

565.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.22 CHF 5.03

$2.39 ฿78.5

160.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CHF 4.52

$3.71 ฿122

50.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.66

$1.79 ฿58.7

15.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 CHF 3.26

$1.44 ฿47.38

179.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 CHF 3.80

$1.58 ฿52.1

197.47%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.06

$2.13 ฿69.9

251.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.16 CHF 26.83

$19.92 ฿655

66.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.51 CHF 14.97

$3.43 ฿113

439.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.43 CHF 27.05

$11.33 ฿372

195.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.83

$2.95 ฿96.9

18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.72 ฿56.6

33.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.61

$2.32 ฿76.4

39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.98 CHF 5.65

$2.08 ฿68.4

235.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 CHF 1.46

$1.47 ฿48.33

23.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 CHF 2.17

$1.36 ฿44.64

97.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.11

$1.10 ฿36.12

137.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 1.00

$0.57 ฿18.89

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.09

$4.27 ฿140

163.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 CHF 10.83

$18.42 ฿605

-27.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.56

$1.87 ฿61.5

68.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 CHF 3.24

$2.92 ฿96.0

36.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.16 CHF 4.18

$2.22 ฿72.9

132.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 CHF 4.50

$3.03 ฿99.6

83.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 CHF 2.79

$1.07 ฿35.31

222.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 CHF 49.28

$3.93 ฿129

1449.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.49 ฿49.04

53.69%

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

$43.4K CHF 35.1K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

60.11%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

48.04%

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

$183 CHF 148

$103 ฿3,379

78.27%

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

$32.10 CHF 25.97

$10.99 ฿361

192.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CHF 55.9

$17.51 ฿576

294.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 CHF 12.71

$7.48 ฿246

110.03%

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

$620 CHF 501

$557 ฿18.3K

11.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K CHF 16.9K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

76.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CHF 89.5

$64.1 ฿2,106

72.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.98 CHF 20.21

$29.07 ฿956

-14.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 CHF 80.1

$96.0 ฿3,154

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 CHF 141

$90.3 ฿2,970

93.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CHF 1,478

$730 ฿24.0K

150.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 CHF 1,313

$500 ฿16.4K

224.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 CHF 2,262

$2,090 ฿68.7K

33.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,828 CHF 2,288

$1,209 ฿39.7K

133.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,717 CHF 7,052

$503 ฿16.5K

1631.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.93

5.57

-65.35%

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

Last update for Buchs: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,827 in Buchs and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 1632% 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: $88.0 in Buchs vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $568 vs $273 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 150% in total monthly costs ($3,131 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1632% 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: $1,827 in Buchs versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $620 in Buchs versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $88.0 in Buchs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,131 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 150% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.