Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,622 in Cham versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cham is roughly 186% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 163% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$4.66 ฿154

573.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$32.22 ฿1,065

290.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$8.68 ฿287

110.37%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$2.90 ฿95.8

108.62%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$0.84 ฿27.89

576.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$0.49 ฿16.16

877.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$2.48 ฿82.0

238.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$3.73 ฿123

82.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.89 ฿62.3

17.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$1.41 ฿46.54

187.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$1.62 ฿53.6

136.42%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$2.24 ฿74.1

228.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$19.84 ฿656

40.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$3.48 ฿115

695.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$11.37 ฿376

281.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$2.90 ฿95.8

42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.72 ฿57.0

32.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$2.27 ฿75.1

45.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$2.13 ฿70.4

121.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$1.47 ฿48.72

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$1.42 ฿46.92

59.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$1.10 ฿36.25

132.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$0.60 ฿19.76

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$4.31 ฿142

159.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$18.60 ฿615

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$1.80 ฿59.5

59.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$2.97 ฿98.0

7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$2.25 ฿74.2

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$23.49 ฿776

545.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$3.10 ฿102

80.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$1.08 ฿35.56

221.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$3.87 ฿128

1499.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.43 ฿47.16

59.44%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

46.29%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

47.99%

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

$288 CHF 235

$105 ฿3,462

174.64%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$11.39 ฿376

183.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$17.54 ฿580

225.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$54.3 ฿1,795

70.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$11.44 ฿378

270.10%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$7.78 ฿257

221.72%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$576 ฿19.0K

215.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

193.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$63.6 ฿2,103

132.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$29.10 ฿961

108.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$96.2 ฿3,179

73.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$90.0 ฿2,974

190.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$733 ฿24.2K

136.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$501 ฿16.5K

193.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$2,126 ฿70.2K

35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$1,252 ฿41.4K

114.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

406.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

417.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

5.57

-62.84%

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $616 vs $275 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

Cham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,732 in Cham versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,622 in Cham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cham 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 186% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.