Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Solothurn

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,753 in Solothurn, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Solothurn
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Solothurn Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Solothurn

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Solothurn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,753 in Solothurn.

Phuket $1,278
Solothurn $2,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,410 in Solothurn.

Phuket $2,216
Solothurn $4,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $6,067 in Solothurn.

Phuket $3,154
Solothurn $6,067

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Solothurn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Solothurn is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$30.77 CHF 25.48

-85.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$147 CHF 122

-77.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$18.33 CHF 15.17

-51.94%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$6.67 CHF 5.52

-57.57%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$5.31 CHF 4.40

-83.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$5.33 CHF 4.41

-90.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$6.59 CHF 5.46

-61.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.89 CHF 4.88

-37.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.76 CHF 3.12

-61.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$3.40 CHF 2.82

-55.88%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$8.42 CHF 6.97

-75.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$22.43 CHF 18.57

-14.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$26.36 CHF 21.83

-87.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$60.1 CHF 49.74

-81.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.92 CHF 2.41

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.49 CHF 1.23

13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.52 CHF 2.92

-36.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.26 CHF 3.52

-51.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.65 CHF 1.36

-8.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.84 CHF 1.52

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.55 CHF 1.29

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.01 CHF 0.84

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.81 CHF 8.95

-61.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$14.12 CHF 11.69

33.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.91 CHF 2.41

-37.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.11 CHF 2.58

-8.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$4.68 CHF 3.87

-69.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$7.96 CHF 6.59

-62.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$4.47 CHF 3.70

-77.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$88.1 CHF 72.9

-95.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-34.08%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$30.4K CHF 25.2K

-12.03%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$35.0K CHF 29.0K

-23.68%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$97.8 CHF 81.0

-1.46%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$30.67 CHF 25.39

-63.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$54.3 CHF 44.99

-68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$89.4 CHF 74.0

-24.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$17.05 CHF 14.11

-37.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$17.87 CHF 14.79

-58.03%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$3,421 CHF 2,832

-86.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$19.5K CHF 16.1K

-42.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$138 CHF 114

-54.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$41.96 CHF 34.74

-32.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$159 CHF 132

-40.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$246 CHF 203

-65.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,154 CHF 955

-37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,043 CHF 864

-52.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,803 CHF 1,493

6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,718 CHF 1,422

-16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$9,576 CHF 7,929

-56.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$4,801 CHF 3,975

-36.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$6,805 CHF 5,634

-92.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.03

174.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Solothurn: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Solothurn

$1K 37.9% 113% $552

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Solothurn

$621 22.6% 133% $355

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Solothurn

$183 6.6% 46.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Solothurn

$263 9.6% 116% $141

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Solothurn

$468 17% 285% $347

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Solothurn

$125 4.6% 52.2% $43

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Solothurn

$49 * 1.8% 30.5% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,154 in Solothurn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solothurn pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $147 in Solothurn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $621 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 Solothurn

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

07:13 7:13 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

16,599

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Solothurn 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Solothurn

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 Solothurn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,154 in Solothurn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $3,421 in Solothurn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $147 in Solothurn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,753 in Solothurn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Solothurn. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Solothurn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Solothurn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.