Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brissago

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,504 in Brissago, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Brissago, Switzerland
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Brissago
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,504
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Brissago

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $3,504 in Brissago, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Brissago $3,504

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $5,141 in Brissago, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Brissago $5,141

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $6,777 in Brissago, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Brissago $6,777

Phuket is about 66% cheaper than Brissago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Brissago is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿148
$29.38 CHF 24.32
-85.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,089
$123 CHF 102
-73.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿296
$15.55 CHF 12.87
-43.67%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$6.77 CHF 5.61
-58.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.45
$6.33 CHF 5.24
-85.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.72
$7.21 CHF 5.97
-93.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿86.1
$9.14 CHF 7.57
-72.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿129
$7.99 CHF 6.61
-52.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿58.3
$2.12 CHF 1.75
-18.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.61
$3.00 CHF 2.48
-51.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.1
$3.14 CHF 2.60
-51.91%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.4
$7.88 CHF 6.53
-72.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿665
$24.67 CHF 20.42
-20.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿113
$29.66 CHF 24.55
-88.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿377
$39.72 CHF 32.88
-71.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿96.1
$4.03 CHF 3.34
-29.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$2.00 CHF 1.65
-15.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$2.76 CHF 2.28
-20.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿69.1
$4.76 CHF 3.94
-56.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿49.06
$1.66 CHF 1.37
-12.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.63
$2.07 CHF 1.72
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿36.06
$2.30 CHF 1.90
-53.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.08
$1.35 CHF 1.12
-62.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿144
$11.12 CHF 9.20
-61.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿627
$12.14 CHF 10.05
53.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿60.3
$2.19 CHF 1.81
-18.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿96.1
$2.99 CHF 2.48
-4.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿76.4
$4.69 CHF 3.88
-51.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿746
$92.5 CHF 76.6
-76.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿102
$8.06 CHF 6.67
-62.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.70
$4.57 CHF 3.79
-76.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿130
$108 CHF 89.0
-96.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.94
$2.29 CHF 1.89
-36.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.9K
$39.6K CHF 32.8K
-33.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.6K
$39.2K CHF 32.5K
-31.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$279 CHF 231
-65.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿373
$28.26 CHF 23.39
-60.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿578
$56.1 CHF 46.44
-69.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,761
$79.8 CHF 66.0
-34.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿377
$42.62 CHF 35.27
-73.82%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿264
$24.22 CHF 20.04
-67.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.8K
$3,145 CHF 2,603
-82.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿391.0K
$30.8K CHF 25.5K
-62.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,168
$141 CHF 117
-54.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿969
$61.7 CHF 51.1
-53.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,219
$154 CHF 128
-38.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,970
$197 CHF 163
-55.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.9K
$1,807 CHF 1,496
-59.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.6K
$1,563 CHF 1,293
-70.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.7K
$2,635 CHF 2,181
-20.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.5K
$2,281 CHF 1,888
-47.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿117.7K
$18.9K CHF 15.6K
-81.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿85.2K
$10.9K CHF 9,050
-76.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Brissago
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.46
126.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brissago: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Brissago
$1.6K 238% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Brissago
$579 116% $311
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Brissago
$364 192% $239
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Brissago
$249 100% $125
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Brissago
$479 295% $358
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Brissago
$128 89.1% $60
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Brissago
$142 261% $103

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $1,807 in Brissago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $123 in Brissago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $579 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇭 Brissago
🕒 Local time
07:45 7:45 AM
01:45 1:45 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,800
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.76 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.8 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.927 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Brissago 9,350 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Brissago

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
Phuket vs Brissago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Brissago compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $3,504 in Brissago – roughly 190% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Brissago?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $5,256 in Brissago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Brissago?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $737 there versus $1,807 in Brissago.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 116% more in Brissago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $123 in Brissago. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Brissago at $3,504. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brissago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Brissago?
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.
Is Phuket or Brissago safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Brissago?
For expats, Phuket is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 190% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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