Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sion Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,365 in Sion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $5,046 in Sion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $6,727 in Sion.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 62% less than in Sion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Sion is 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$29.93 CHF 24.42

-84.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-65.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$20.76 CHF 16.94

-58.19%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$4.43 CHF 3.62

-34.54%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$5.02 CHF 4.09

-83.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$4.00 CHF 3.26

-87.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$7.34 CHF 5.99

-66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$7.50 CHF 6.12

-50.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.08 CHF 1.69

-9.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-63.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-60.96%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$7.44 CHF 6.08

-69.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$26.38 CHF 21.53

-24.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$23.90 CHF 19.51

-85.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$40.76 CHF 33.26

-72.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.34 CHF 2.73

-13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.73 CHF 1.41

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.63 CHF 2.15

-13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$6.17 CHF 5.03

-65.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.82 CHF 1.49

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.53 CHF 2.07

-56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.18 CHF 0.96

-49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$11.15 CHF 9.10

-61.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$12.70 CHF 10.37

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.90 CHF 1.55

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.88 CHF 1.53

57.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$5.39 CHF 4.40

-58.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$189 CHF 154

-87.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$6.36 CHF 5.19

-51.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$5.67 CHF 4.63

-80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$49.29 CHF 40.23

-92.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-37.28%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$36.3K CHF 29.6K

-23.42%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$38.4K CHF 31.3K

-29.67%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$296 CHF 242

-64.58%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$23.00 CHF 18.77

-50.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$50.1 CHF 40.92

-65.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$139 CHF 113

-60.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$55.9 CHF 45.66

-79.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$20.53 CHF 16.75

-62.10%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$1,006 CHF 821

-42.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$35.5K CHF 29.0K

-67.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$169 CHF 138

-62.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$58.6 CHF 47.84

-50.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$181 CHF 147

-46.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$151 CHF 123

-40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,250 CHF 1,020

-41.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$1,259 CHF 1,027

-60.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$2,378 CHF 1,941

-10.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$2,100 CHF 1,714

-40.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$7,669 CHF 6,259

-53.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$5,661 CHF 4,620

-53.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$5,988 CHF 4,887

-91.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.15

159.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,250 in Sion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 1080% 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 $92.0 in Sion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $568 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 Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1080% lower in Sion. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,250 in Sion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $1,006 in Sion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,365 in Sion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sion. 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 Sion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sion 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 166% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.