Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riehen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riehen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,522 in Riehen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $5,312 in Riehen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $7,102 in Riehen.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 65% less than in Riehen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Riehen is 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$30.28 CHF 24.53

-84.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$143 CHF 116

-67.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$18.43 CHF 14.93

-52.03%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$6.12 CHF 4.96

-50.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$5.34 CHF 4.33

-86.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$4.96 CHF 4.02

-91.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$8.36 CHF 6.77

-70.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$7.58 CHF 6.14

-50.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.23 CHF 1.81

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.47 CHF 2.81

-47.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.18 CHF 3.38

-46.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$7.37 CHF 5.97

-69.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$28.47 CHF 23.06

-31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$32.98 CHF 26.71

-88.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$48.25 CHF 39.08

-72.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.74 CHF 3.03

-13.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.29 CHF 1.86

-29.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.94 CHF 2.39

-19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$6.38 CHF 5.17

-68.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.52 CHF 2.04

-39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.35 CHF 1.90

-36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.50 CHF 2.03

-60.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.37 CHF 1.11

-62.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$11.16 CHF 9.04

-60.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.91 CHF 10.45

41.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.44 CHF 1.97

-23.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.34 CHF 2.71

-19.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$3.82 CHF 3.09

-63.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$99.8 CHF 80.9

-88.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$7.67 CHF 6.22

-59.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$4.30 CHF 3.48

-75.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$79.0 CHF 64.0

-82.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.17 CHF 1.76

-39.63%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$40.9K CHF 33.2K

-32.04%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$42.0K CHF 34.0K

-20.89%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$260 CHF 211

-52.93%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$49.27 CHF 39.91

-72.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$58.7 CHF 47.57

-68.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$87.2 CHF 70.7

-30.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$25.80 CHF 20.90

-34.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$22.94 CHF 18.58

-60.46%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$2,889 CHF 2,340

-75.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$34.8K CHF 28.2K

-54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$136 CHF 110

-56.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$67.2 CHF 54.5

-47.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$146 CHF 119

-21.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$190 CHF 154

-55.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,701 CHF 1,377

-63.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$1,440 CHF 1,166

-69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,866 CHF 2,321

-28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$2,496 CHF 2,022

-40.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$14.0K CHF 11.4K

-75.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$12.2K CHF 9,913

-78.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$8,551 CHF 6,927

-94.15%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Riehen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,701 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 1611% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $143 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $658 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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1611% lower in Riehen. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $2,889 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Riehen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,522 in Riehen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Riehen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Riehen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Riehen 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 182% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.