Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreux and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,392 in Montreux, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Montreux
Learn more

Montreux Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreux

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,392

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreux and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreux and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,392 per month in Montreux vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Montreux $3,392
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $5,203 per month in Montreux vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Montreux $5,203
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $7,015 per month in Montreux vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Montreux $7,015
Phuket $2,867

Montreux costs about 181% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreux sits 151% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.50 CHF 25.12

$4.58 ฿153

565.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 CHF 109

$32.48 ฿1,086

306.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.41 CHF 15.16

$8.55 ฿286

115.32%

Cappuccino

$5.93 CHF 4.89

$2.72 ฿91.0

118.01%

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

$4.86 CHF 4.00

$0.94 ฿31.25

417.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 CHF 3.38

$0.49 ฿16.39

738.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.83 CHF 8.10

$2.59 ฿86.6

279.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 CHF 8.11

$3.83 ฿128

157.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CHF 1.75

$1.74 ฿58.1

21.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$1.43 ฿47.82

134.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$1.53 ฿51.0

111.11%

Eggs

$7.08 CHF 5.83

$2.17 ฿72.7

226.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.74 CHF 20.37

$19.15 ฿640

29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 23.19

$3.30 ฿110

753.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.23 CHF 32.31

$11.14 ฿372

252.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.86

$2.95 ฿98.5

17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$1.68 ฿56.1

-2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 2.00

$2.30 ฿76.8

5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$2.13 ฿71.3

116.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.47

$1.53 ฿51.1

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.58

$1.36 ฿45.55

41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.12 ฿37.44

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CHF 1.42

$0.55 ฿18.24

212.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.67 CHF 8.79

$4.26 ฿142

150.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.87

$18.19 ฿608

-34.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.22

$1.74 ฿58.2

55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.60

$2.79 ฿93.3

13.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 CHF 3.74

$2.22 ฿74.1

104.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 82.8

$22.06 ฿737

355.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.20

$2.91 ฿97.3

158.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.95 CHF 3.25

$1.01 ฿33.79

291.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.4 CHF 51.4

$3.83 ฿128

1528.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.89

$1.49 ฿49.85

54.36%

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

$38.2K CHF 31.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

43.07%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

45.27%

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

$285 CHF 234

$99.4 ฿3,321

186.47%

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

$36.64 CHF 30.18

$11.28 ฿377

224.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CHF 41.94

$17.36 ฿580

193.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 72.9

$52.3 ฿1,747

69.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.52 CHF 37.49

$10.85 ฿362

319.54%

Cinema Ticket

$23.83 CHF 19.63

$7.57 ฿253

214.80%

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

$2,416 CHF 1,990

$558 ฿18.7K

332.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K CHF 29.5K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

211.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$62.9 ฿2,102

118.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.0 CHF 62.6

$28.58 ฿955

165.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 CHF 134

$96.1 ฿3,213

69.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$88.1 ฿2,943

109.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 CHF 1,378

$729 ฿24.4K

129.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CHF 1,186

$460 ฿15.4K

213.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,879 CHF 2,371

$2,096 ฿70.0K

37.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CHF 2,025

$1,222 ฿40.8K

101.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.6K CHF 12.9K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

352.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,982

$2,489 ฿83.2K

386.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,082 CHF 6,657

$493 ฿16.5K

1539.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

5.57

-64.99%

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

Last update for Montreux: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreux

$1.4K 42.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 68.1% $980

Groceries & Markets

Montreux

$570 16.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 53.1% $303

Eating Out

Montreux

$475 14%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 74.5% $354

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreux

$372 11%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 65.6% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Montreux

$252 7.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 50.8% $128

Getting Around

Montreux

$146 4.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 73.4% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Montreux

$136 4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 50.5% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in Montreux versus $729 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 1539% higher in Montreux, 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 $132 in Montreux versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $570 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Montreux

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

5 h ahead of Montreux

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,208

79,308

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreux Phuket 9,490 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreux
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Montreux vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreux is pricier by about 181%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,088 per month in Montreux and $1,811 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.

Kindergarten costs $2,416 per month in Montreux and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 113% more in Montreux, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Montreux at $3,392. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreux it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Montreux makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.