🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,390 in Rapperswil.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $5,153 in Rapperswil.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $6,915 in Rapperswil.
🌍Living in Phuket costs roughly 63% less than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Rapperswil is 146% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.66฿154
$24.98CHF 20.39
-81.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.22฿1,065
$98.7CHF 80.6
-67.36%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.68฿287
$16.65CHF 13.58
-47.87%
Cappuccino
$2.90฿95.8
$6.31CHF 5.15
-54.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84฿27.89
$4.97CHF 4.06
-83.10%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.16
$4.81CHF 3.93
-89.81%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.48฿82.0
$8.81CHF 7.19
-71.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73฿123
$6.15CHF 5.02
-39.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.89฿62.3
$2.24CHF 1.83
-15.63%
White Bread(500g)
$1.41฿46.54
$3.49CHF 2.85
-59.60%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.62฿53.6
$4.33CHF 3.53
-62.59%
Eggs
$2.24฿74.1
$7.98CHF 6.51
-71.93%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.84฿656
$27.06CHF 22.08
-26.68%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.48฿115
$26.59CHF 21.70
-86.91%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.37฿376
$40.99CHF 33.45
-72.26%
Apples(1kg)
$2.90฿95.8
$3.69CHF 3.01
-21.41%
Banana(1kg)
$1.72฿57.0
$2.11CHF 1.72
-18.48%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.27฿75.1
$2.63CHF 2.15
-13.69%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.13฿70.4
$4.81CHF 3.93
-55.72%
Potato(1kg)
$1.47฿48.72
$2.09CHF 1.71
-29.67%
Onion(1kg)
$1.42฿46.92
$2.28CHF 1.86
-37.72%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.10฿36.25
$2.49CHF 2.03
-55.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60฿19.76
$1.39CHF 1.13
-56.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31฿142
$11.15CHF 9.10
-61.35%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.60฿615
$13.57CHF 11.08
37.07%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80฿59.5
$2.25CHF 1.84
-20.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97฿98.0
$2.82CHF 2.30
5.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.25฿74.2
$4.25CHF 3.47
-47.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$23.49฿776
$104CHF 85.3
-77.52%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.10฿102
$7.67CHF 6.26
-59.58%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.08฿35.56
$5.08CHF 4.15
-78.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.87฿128
$88.8CHF 72.4
-95.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.43฿47.16
$2.28CHF 1.86
-37.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K฿918.0K
$43.2KCHF 35.2K
-35.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K฿891.5K
$39.7KCHF 32.4K
-31.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$105฿3,462
$238CHF 194
-55.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.39฿376
$32.75CHF 26.73
-65.22%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.54฿580
$67.8CHF 55.3
-74.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$54.3฿1,795
$82.5CHF 67.3
-34.10%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.44฿378
$46.95CHF 38.31
-75.63%
Cinema Ticket
$7.78฿257
$22.15CHF 18.08
-64.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$576฿19.0K
$2,865CHF 2,338
-79.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.6K฿382.7K
$45.2KCHF 36.9K
-74.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.6฿2,103
$142CHF 116
-55.24%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.10฿961
$88.2CHF 72.0
-67.00%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$96.2฿3,179
$149CHF 122
-35.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.0฿2,974
$177CHF 144
-49.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$733฿24.2K
$1,906CHF 1,556
-61.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$501฿16.5K
$1,503CHF 1,226
-66.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,126฿70.2K
$2,946CHF 2,404
-27.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,252฿41.4K
$2,475CHF 2,020
-49.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,534฿116.8K
$17.2KCHF 14.0K
-79.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,622฿86.6K
$11.6KCHF 9,443
-77.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$508฿16.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
1.72
223.84%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026
Last update for Rapperswil: September 5, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,906 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $99.0 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $591 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 Rapperswil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rapperswil cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $5,085 in Rapperswil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Rapperswil?
Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $1,906 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $2,865 in Rapperswil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Rapperswil?
Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Rapperswil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Rapperswil?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,390 in Rapperswil, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rapperswil. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Rapperswil more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rapperswil, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Rapperswil?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Rapperswil are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Rapperswil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.