Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kriens

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $3,154 in Kriens, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Kriens
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Kriens Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Kriens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kriens

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $3,154 in Kriens, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Kriens $3,154

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $4,836 in Kriens, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Kriens $4,836

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $6,518 in Kriens, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Kriens $6,518

Phuket is about 59% cheaper than Kriens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Kriens is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$29.66 CHF 24.21

-85.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$106 CHF 86.4

-69.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$18.11 CHF 14.79

-51.96%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$5.92 CHF 4.83

-54.05%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$5.13 CHF 4.19

-81.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$4.78 CHF 3.91

-89.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$6.05 CHF 4.94

-58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.17 CHF 5.86

-49.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.06 CHF 1.68

-15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$3.68 CHF 3.00

-60.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.72 CHF 2.22

-44.85%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$7.91 CHF 6.45

-72.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$27.84 CHF 22.73

-31.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$31.26 CHF 25.52

-89.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$41.79 CHF 34.12

-73.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$3.00 CHF 2.45

-2.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.80 CHF 1.47

-6.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$2.46 CHF 2.01

-10.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$5.44 CHF 4.44

-61.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.75 CHF 1.43

-16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$2.05 CHF 1.67

-33.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$1.36 CHF 1.11

-59.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$10.91 CHF 8.91

-59.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$10.20 CHF 8.33

78.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$2.59 CHF 2.11

-31.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.84 CHF 2.32

1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$4.51 CHF 3.68

-67.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$87.4 CHF 71.4

-37.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$7.13 CHF 5.82

-78.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$5.94 CHF 4.85

-86.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$36.66 CHF 29.93

-89.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-37.92%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-32.61%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$39.2K CHF 32.0K

-32.85%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$124 CHF 101

-21.03%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$37.81 CHF 30.87

-70.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$56.9 CHF 46.48

-69.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$73.9 CHF 60.4

-7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$40.83 CHF 33.34

-73.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$21.90 CHF 17.88

-66.07%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$3,213 CHF 2,623

-83.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$41.4K CHF 33.8K

-54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$90.1 CHF 73.6

-31.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$68.8 CHF 56.2

-58.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$110 CHF 89.6

-12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$172 CHF 140

-49.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,965 CHF 1,604

-63.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,428 CHF 1,166

-64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$2,559 CHF 2,089

-23.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$2,380 CHF 1,943

-41.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$13.4K CHF 11.0K

-68.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$9,706 CHF 7,924

-66.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.9

193.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kriens: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Kriens

$1.4K 45.3% 181% $919

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Kriens

$602 19.1% 126% $335

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Kriens

$219 6.9% 73.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Kriens

$198 6.3% 61.6% $76

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Kriens

$447 14.2% 274% $327

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Kriens

$118 3.7% 41.5% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Kriens

$142 4.5% 115% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $1,965 in Kriens. 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 $106 in Kriens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $602 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 Kriens

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

10:48 10:48 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

25,932

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kriens 9,380 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kriens

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 Kriens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kriens costs about 144% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $4,730 in Kriens. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,965 in Kriens.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $3,213 in Kriens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 125% more in Kriens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Kriens at $3,154. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kriens 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Phuket is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.