Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,146 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,070 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 155% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

La Chaux-de-Fonds sits 135% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.77 CHF 19.60

$4.63 ฿151

434.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.6 CHF 69.3

$46.84 ฿1,532

87.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.38 CHF 14.54

$8.84 ฿289

107.92%

Cappuccino

$4.77 CHF 3.77

$3.00 ฿98.0

59.00%

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

$3.66 CHF 2.89

$0.74 ฿24.25

394.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 CHF 3.76

$0.37 ฿11.95

1183.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 CHF 5.91

$2.44 ฿79.8

206.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.78

$3.61 ฿118

67.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$2.26 ฿73.9

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 CHF 3.08

$1.84 ฿60.1

111.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 CHF 3.44

$2.24 ฿73.4

94.20%

Eggs

$7.43 CHF 5.88

$2.32 ฿75.7

220.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.34 CHF 21.63

$19.67 ฿643

38.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.67 CHF 25.84

$3.65 ฿119

795.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$52.8 CHF 41.79

$13.10 ฿428

303.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.71

$3.39 ฿111

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$1.64 ฿53.7

51.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 CHF 2.32

$2.41 ฿79.0

21.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 CHF 5.13

$2.03 ฿66.4

219.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.09

$1.56 ฿50.9

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CHF 1.86

$1.50 ฿48.94

56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.07

$1.02 ฿33.50

155.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CHF 1.08

$0.49 ฿16.00

179.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 CHF 8.84

$4.45 ฿145

151.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 CHF 10.20

$18.88 ฿617

-31.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.89

$1.78 ฿58.1

34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 CHF 2.98

$2.75 ฿90.1

36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 CHF 2.50

$1.40 ฿45.81

125.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$162 CHF 128

$11.48 ฿376

1307.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 CHF 6.16

$3.12 ฿102

149.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 CHF 2.76

$1.00 ฿32.67

249.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 CHF 50.8

$14.09 ฿461

355.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.83

$1.35 ฿44.19

71.11%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.1K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

49.22%

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

$48.6K CHF 38.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

47.49%

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

$256 CHF 203

$125 ฿4,087

104.92%

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

$47.90 CHF 37.89

$13.57 ฿444

252.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 CHF 49.40

$18.52 ฿606

237.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 CHF 59.6

$61.5 ฿2,010

22.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$24.33 CHF 19.25

$9.19 ฿300

164.74%

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

$3,041 CHF 2,405

$698 ฿22.8K

335.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K CHF 16.5K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

33.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 107

$57.8 ฿1,889

133.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.7 CHF 62.3

$35.24 ฿1,152

123.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 128

$113 ฿3,699

43.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 CHF 169

$86.4 ฿2,825

146.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 CHF 1,149

$616 ฿20.1K

135.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 CHF 874

$446 ฿14.6K

147.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,975 CHF 3,144

$2,048 ฿67.0K

94.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 CHF 1,908

$1,492 ฿48.8K

61.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 12.8K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

326.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,773 CHF 7,730

$2,649 ฿86.6K

268.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,303 CHF 4,195

$524 ฿17.1K

912.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.46

5.33

-53.85%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,452 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $616 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 912% higher in La Chaux-de-Fonds, 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 $88.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $674 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

La Chaux-de-Fonds vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 155% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,719 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,847 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,146 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in La Chaux-de-Fonds at $3,146. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Chaux-de-Fonds it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $3,146 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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, La Chaux-de-Fonds makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.