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 $3,063 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,852 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,641 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 142% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

La Chaux-de-Fonds sits 122% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 CHF 20.31

$4.66 ฿154

433.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 CHF 69.6

$32.22 ฿1,066

164.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.84 CHF 15.39

$8.68 ฿287

117.05%

Cappuccino

$4.72 CHF 3.86

$2.90 ฿95.9

62.76%

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

$3.74 CHF 3.06

$0.84 ฿27.91

345.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 CHF 3.87

$0.49 ฿16.17

865.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 CHF 6.04

$2.48 ฿82.1

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$3.73 ฿123

62.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$1.89 ฿62.3

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 CHF 2.62

$1.41 ฿46.58

127.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.66

$1.62 ฿53.6

101.23%

Eggs

$7.97 CHF 6.51

$2.24 ฿74.1

255.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.29 CHF 21.47

$19.84 ฿656

32.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.42 CHF 22.39

$3.48 ฿115

687.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.24 CHF 34.50

$11.37 ฿376

271.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.92

$2.90 ฿95.9

23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$1.72 ฿57.0

34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.47

$2.27 ฿75.2

33.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 CHF 3.93

$2.13 ฿70.5

126.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 CHF 1.44

$1.47 ฿48.77

19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.66

$1.42 ฿46.96

42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$1.10 ฿36.29

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$0.60 ฿19.78

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.18

$4.31 ฿142

160.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 CHF 9.90

$18.60 ฿615

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.03

$1.80 ฿59.6

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.48

$2.97 ฿98.1

2.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.40 CHF 3.59

$2.25 ฿74.3

95.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100.0 CHF 81.6

$23.49 ฿777

325.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 CHF 6.64

$3.10 ฿103

162.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.80 CHF 3.92

$1.08 ฿35.59

344.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.9 CHF 71.0

$3.87 ฿128

2146.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.85

$1.43 ฿47.20

58.04%

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

$44.7K CHF 36.5K

$27.8K ฿918.9K

60.81%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.9K

$27.0K ฿892.4K

49.41%

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

$298 CHF 244

$105 ฿3,466

184.74%

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

$54.2 CHF 44.25

$11.39 ฿377

375.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 CHF 54.0

$17.54 ฿580

276.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 CHF 62.4

$54.3 ฿1,797

40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.09 CHF 36.00

$11.44 ฿378

285.40%

Cinema Ticket

$23.35 CHF 19.07

$7.78 ฿257

200.13%

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

$2,984 CHF 2,437

$576 ฿19.1K

417.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K CHF 16.8K

$11.6K ฿383.0K

77.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 CHF 119

$63.6 ฿2,104

129.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.7 CHF 65.9

$29.10 ฿962

177.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 CHF 136

$96.2 ฿3,182

72.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$90.0 ฿2,977

127.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 CHF 1,211

$733 ฿24.2K

102.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 CHF 902

$501 ฿16.6K

120.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,017 CHF 3,280

$2,126 ฿70.3K

88.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 CHF 1,970

$1,252 ฿41.4K

92.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.0K CHF 13.9K

$3,534 ฿116.9K

382.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.5K CHF 9,350

$2,622 ฿86.7K

336.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,259 CHF 4,294

$508 ฿16.8K

936.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

5.57

-56.37%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,483 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $733 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 936% 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 $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $591 vs $275 – 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 142% 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 $4,595 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,898 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 $85.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $32.00 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 $3,063 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,265 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 $1,265, than in La Chaux-de-Fonds at $3,063. 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 $1,265 versus $3,063 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.