Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Glarus

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,297 in Glarus, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Glarus
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,297
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Glarus

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 Glarus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $3,297 in Glarus, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Glarus $3,297

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $4,996 in Glarus, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Glarus $4,996

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $6,696 in Glarus, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Glarus $6,696

Phuket is about 63% cheaper than Glarus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Glarus is 144% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$29.24 CHF 24.08
-84.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$122 CHF 100
-73.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$17.09 CHF 14.07
-49.97%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$5.88 CHF 4.84
-53.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$3.76 CHF 3.10
-75.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$3.82 CHF 3.15
-87.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$9.11 CHF 7.50
-71.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$6.26 CHF 5.15
-38.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$2.20 CHF 1.81
-20.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$3.14 CHF 2.58
-54.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$2.82 CHF 2.32
-45.74%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$7.70 CHF 6.34
-71.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$8.58 CHF 7.06
123.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$14.56 CHF 11.99
-77.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$37.65 CHF 31.01
-70.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$3.04 CHF 2.51
-2.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.55 CHF 1.27
8.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$2.40 CHF 1.98
-4.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$5.41 CHF 4.46
-60.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$1.64 CHF 1.35
-6.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$2.09 CHF 1.72
-34.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$2.19 CHF 1.80
-48.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$1.18 CHF 0.97
-53.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$11.00 CHF 9.06
-61.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$11.23 CHF 9.25
61.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$2.15 CHF 1.77
-19.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.32 CHF 1.91
20.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$5.89 CHF 4.85
-62.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$221 CHF 182
-90.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$6.50 CHF 5.36
-55.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$4.71 CHF 3.88
-78.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$77.2 CHF 63.6
-95.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$2.18 CHF 1.79
-31.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$34.3K CHF 28.3K
-22.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$39.6K CHF 32.6K
-32.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$311 CHF 256
-68.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$38.06 CHF 31.35
-70.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$53.5 CHF 44.03
-67.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$160 CHF 132
-67.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
$41.77 CHF 34.40
-74.02%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$25.57 CHF 21.06
-70.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$2,254 CHF 1,857
-75.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$31.7K CHF 26.1K
-63.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$103 CHF 84.5
-38.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$41.84 CHF 34.46
-31.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$131 CHF 108
-26.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$96.4 CHF 79.4
-8.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$1,676 CHF 1,380
-56.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$1,359 CHF 1,120
-66.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$2,950 CHF 2,430
-28.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$2,306 CHF 1,899
-46.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Glarus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.1
165.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Glarus: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Glarus
$1.4K 196% $899
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Glarus
$438 63.7% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Glarus
$402 214% $274
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Glarus
$167 35% $43
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Glarus
$444 266% $323
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Glarus
$211 213% $143
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Glarus
$274 606% $236

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $1,676 in Glarus. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $122 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $438 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇭 Glarus
🕒 Local time
14:41 2:41 PM
09:41 9:41 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
12,500
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Glarus 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Glarus

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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glarus cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Glarus is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $4,945 in Glarus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 901% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $2,254 in Glarus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Glarus?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Glarus at $3,297. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glarus it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Glarus more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Glarus?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glarus makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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