Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lachen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lachen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,188 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $5,036 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $6,885 in Lachen.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 61% less than in Lachen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Lachen is 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$31.38 CHF 24.82

-85.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$146 CHF 115

-67.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$18.67 CHF 14.77

-52.65%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$6.17 CHF 4.88

-51.38%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$5.76 CHF 4.55

-87.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$5.22 CHF 4.13

-92.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$7.63 CHF 6.04

-68.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$6.97 CHF 5.51

-48.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.22 CHF 1.76

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.70 CHF 2.14

-31.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-6.67%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$8.09 CHF 6.40

-71.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$27.50 CHF 21.75

-28.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$14.52 CHF 11.48

-74.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$41.51 CHF 32.84

-68.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.12 CHF 2.47

8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.84 CHF 1.45

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.48 CHF 1.97

-2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.79 CHF 3.79

-57.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.49 CHF 1.97

-37.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.28 CHF 1.81

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.15 CHF 0.91

-57.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$10.77 CHF 8.52

-58.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.98 CHF 9.48

57.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.37 CHF 1.88

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.93 CHF 3.11

-64.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$97.2 CHF 76.8

-88.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.84 CHF 5.41

-54.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$4.17 CHF 3.30

-76.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$78.7 CHF 62.2

-82.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.11 CHF 1.67

-36.02%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$39.7K CHF 31.4K

-31.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

-20.12%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$125 CHF 98.6

0.30%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$59.8 CHF 47.31

-77.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$52.2 CHF 41.28

-64.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$86.8 CHF 68.6

-29.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$22.21 CHF 17.57

-58.62%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$2,828 CHF 2,237

-75.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$35.0K CHF 27.7K

-55.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$123 CHF 97.4

-53.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$65.5 CHF 51.8

-46.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$158 CHF 125

-28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$230 CHF 182

-62.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,667 CHF 1,318

-63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,448 CHF 1,146

-69.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,852 CHF 2,256

-28.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$2,452 CHF 1,940

-39.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

-72.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$10.9K CHF 8,634

-75.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$10.0K CHF 7,942

-94.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.5

113.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lachen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,667 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1817% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $146 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $507 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 159% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lachen earns 1817% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,667 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 746% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $2,828 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,188 in Lachen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lachen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lachen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.