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: $3,289 in Buchs versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,945 in Buchs versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,600 in Buchs versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Buchs is roughly 160% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buchs is 145% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.59 CHF 23.57

$4.70 ฿154

529.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 CHF 83.6

$45.37 ฿1,489

131.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 CHF 9.22

$8.43 ฿277

37.25%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CHF 2.74

$2.93 ฿96.1

17.41%

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

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$0.69 ฿22.50

263.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CHF 1.58

$0.37 ฿12.04

435.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 CHF 3.60

$2.41 ฿79.0

87.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 CHF 4.17

$3.72 ฿122

40.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 CHF 1.35

$2.23 ฿73.3

-24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 CHF 2.40

$1.83 ฿60.1

64.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 CHF 3.21

$2.17 ฿71.1

86.18%

Eggs

$4.83 CHF 3.85

$2.21 ฿72.6

118.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.94 CHF 24.64

$19.74 ฿648

56.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 CHF 11.87

$3.63 ฿119

310.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 40.33

$13.53 ฿444

274.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.86

$3.28 ฿108

9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.68

$1.61 ฿52.9

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.34

$2.41 ฿79.0

21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 CHF 4.90

$2.08 ฿68.4

195.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$1.53 ฿50.2

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.92

$1.48 ฿48.58

62.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 CHF 2.15

$0.99 ฿32.44

172.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.02

$0.51 ฿16.74

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CHF 8.82

$4.41 ฿145

151.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 CHF 11.28

$19.38 ฿636

-26.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.93

$1.78 ฿58.4

35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 CHF 2.73

$2.71 ฿89.0

26.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CHF 1.99

$1.37 ฿44.99

81.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CHF 68.6

$11.39 ฿374

656.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.30

$3.02 ฿99.1

161.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 CHF 2.79

$0.99 ฿32.63

253.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.3 CHF 71.1

$14.10 ฿463

532.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.73

$1.36 ฿44.71

59.56%

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

$30.4K CHF 24.2K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

7.71%

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

$42.2K CHF 33.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

28.29%

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

$185 CHF 147

$122 ฿3,993

51.87%

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

$42.94 CHF 34.20

$13.57 ฿445

216.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 CHF 44.14

$18.31 ฿601

202.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$150 CHF 119

$60.2 ฿1,976

148.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.44 CHF 13.89

$17.14 ฿562

1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 CHF 11.61

$8.69 ฿285

67.66%

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

$2,906 CHF 2,315

$693 ฿22.8K

319.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.8K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

114.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 109

$59.5 ฿1,953

129.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.5 CHF 62.6

$34.77 ฿1,141

125.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 CHF 106

$115 ฿3,760

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 CHF 129

$83.3 ฿2,733

93.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 CHF 1,452

$613 ฿20.1K

197.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CHF 1,255

$437 ฿14.3K

260.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,784 CHF 2,218

$2,094 ฿68.7K

32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 CHF 1,983

$1,509 ฿49.5K

64.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,109 CHF 7,256

$508 ฿16.7K

1692.79%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,823 in Buchs and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 1693% 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: $105 in Buchs vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $293 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 160% in total monthly costs ($3,289 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buchs pays 1693% more on average, 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: $1,823 in Buchs versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $105 in Buchs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,289 per month in Buchs versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,289 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 160% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.