🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $3,251 in Rapperswil.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $4,906 in Rapperswil.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $6,562 in Rapperswil.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 61% less than in Rapperswil, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Rapperswil is 143% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.66฿150
$30.61CHF 24.00
-84.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.44฿1,496
$116CHF 90.6
-59.81%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.68฿280
$18.50CHF 14.51
-53.08%
Cappuccino
$2.95฿95.0
$5.57CHF 4.37
-47.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70฿22.52
$5.46CHF 4.28
-87.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39฿12.70
$4.98CHF 3.90
-92.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.53฿81.6
$7.31CHF 5.73
-65.39%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78฿122
$6.12CHF 4.80
-38.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.22฿71.5
$1.15CHF 0.90
93.04%
White Bread(500g)
$1.80฿57.8
$1.09CHF 0.85
65.14%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.19฿70.4
$2.39CHF 1.87
-8.37%
Eggs
$2.31฿74.5
$3.60CHF 2.82
-35.83%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.34฿623
$27.64CHF 21.67
-30.03%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.77฿121
$31.79CHF 24.92
-88.14%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.22฿426
$36.72CHF 28.79
-64.00%
Apples(1kg)
$3.33฿107
$2.47CHF 1.94
34.82%
Banana(1kg)
$1.65฿53.1
$1.82CHF 1.42
-9.34%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.29฿73.7
$2.50CHF 1.96
-8.40%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.99฿64.1
$2.52CHF 1.98
-21.03%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿49.24
$1.87CHF 1.47
-18.18%
Onion(1kg)
$1.51฿48.77
$1.81CHF 1.42
-16.57%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.12
$2.61CHF 2.04
-60.54%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51฿16.57
$0.65CHF 0.51
-21.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41฿142
$10.77CHF 8.45
-59.05%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.41฿625
$11.65CHF 9.13
66.61%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80฿58.0
$0.83CHF 0.65
116.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68฿86.4
$2.30CHF 1.81
16.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.43฿46.11
$3.86CHF 3.03
-62.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.70฿377
$97.1CHF 76.1
-87.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.04฿97.9
$6.76CHF 5.30
-55.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿33.37
$4.19CHF 3.28
-75.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.68฿441
$79.6CHF 62.4
-82.81%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.30฿41.85
$2.13CHF 1.67
-38.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K฿898.9K
$41.0KCHF 32.2K
-31.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K฿1.1M
$41.9KCHF 32.8K
-21.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$123฿3,962
$326CHF 256
-62.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.82฿445
$59.8CHF 46.84
-76.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.86฿608
$53.2CHF 41.70
-64.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.2฿1,970
$86.3CHF 67.7
-29.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.81฿541
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.87฿286
$22.04CHF 17.28
-59.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$696฿22.4K
$2,842CHF 2,228
-75.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.1K฿517.4K
$34.9KCHF 27.3K
-53.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.3฿1,910
$121CHF 95.0
-51.07%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.85฿1,123
$36.59CHF 28.68
-4.76%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,646
$100CHF 78.7
12.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.1฿2,740
$61.5CHF 48.20
38.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$615฿19.8K
$1,700CHF 1,333
-63.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$448฿14.4K
$1,458CHF 1,143
-69.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,085฿67.2K
$2,840CHF 2,227
-26.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,496฿48.2K
$2,510CHF 1,968
-40.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,734฿120.3K
$12.0KCHF 9,409
-68.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,662฿85.8K
$9,897CHF 7,759
-73.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rapperswil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$534฿17.2K
$8,603CHF 6,745
-93.80%
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 20, 2026
Last update for Rapperswil: April 21, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $1,700 in Rapperswil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Rapperswil pays 1512% 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: $46 in Phuket vs $116 in Rapperswil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $504 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Rapperswil?
On paper, Rapperswil earns 1512% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Rapperswil?
Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $1,700 in Rapperswil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $2,842 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 Rapperswil?
Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Rapperswil. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Rapperswil?
At $1,270 in Phuket versus $3,251 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 156% less than in Rapperswil. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.