Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riehen

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,372 in Riehen, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
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Riehen Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Riehen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,372 in Riehen.

Phuket $1,207
Riehen $3,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $5,084 in Riehen.

Phuket $2,037
Riehen $5,084

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $6,797 in Riehen.

Phuket $2,867
Riehen $6,797

Living in Phuket costs roughly 64% less than in Riehen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Riehen is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$29.55 CHF 24.34

-84.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$120 CHF 98.5

-72.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$15.72 CHF 12.94

-45.61%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$6.21 CHF 5.11

-56.20%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$4.98 CHF 4.10

-81.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$5.26 CHF 4.33

-90.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$7.15 CHF 5.89

-63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.57 CHF 5.41

-41.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.13 CHF 1.75

-18.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-54.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-56.41%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$7.13 CHF 5.87

-69.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$24.83 CHF 20.45

-22.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$24.86 CHF 20.48

-86.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$37.07 CHF 30.53

-69.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.52 CHF 2.90

-16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.61 CHF 1.33

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.51 CHF 2.07

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$4.36 CHF 3.59

-51.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-48.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.23 CHF 1.02

-55.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.91 CHF 8.99

-60.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$10.39 CHF 8.56

75.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$3.48 CHF 2.87

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.32 CHF 1.91

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-50.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$98.6 CHF 81.2

-77.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$9.84 CHF 8.11

-70.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-74.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-94.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-31.65%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-35.65%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

-31.95%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$339 CHF 280

-70.73%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$41.49 CHF 34.17

-72.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$56.6 CHF 46.59

-69.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$88.7 CHF 73.1

-41.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$45.01 CHF 37.07

-75.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$21.40 CHF 17.63

-64.63%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,786 CHF 1,471

-68.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$36.6K CHF 30.2K

-68.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$102 CHF 84.0

-38.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$57.0 CHF 46.94

-49.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$165 CHF 136

-41.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$183 CHF 151

-51.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,680 CHF 1,384

-56.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-68.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$3,422 CHF 2,819

-38.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$2,418 CHF 1,992

-49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-77.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$12.0K CHF 9,867

-79.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$8,642 CHF 7,118

-94.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.31

141.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Riehen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Riehen

$1.4K 42.7% 213% $980

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Riehen

$540 16% 102% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Riehen

$438 13% 242% $310

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Riehen

$228 6.8% 84.1% $104

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Riehen

$448 13.3% 269% $327

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Riehen

$132 3.9% 95.1% $64

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Riehen

$146 4.3% 276% $107

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,680 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 1653% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $120 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $540 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 Riehen

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

19:36 7:36 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,970

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Riehen 9,420 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Riehen

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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 179% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1653% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,680 in Riehen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,786 in Riehen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Riehen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,372 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 179% less than in Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.