Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in St. Gallen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,451 in St. Gallen.

Phuket $1,278
St. Gallen $3,451

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,120 in St. Gallen.

Phuket $2,216
St. Gallen $5,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $6,789 in St. Gallen.

Phuket $3,154
St. Gallen $6,789

Living in Phuket costs roughly 63% less than in St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, St. Gallen is 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$28.78 CHF 23.74

-84.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$144 CHF 119

-77.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$18.04 CHF 14.88

-51.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$6.03 CHF 4.97

-53.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$5.95 CHF 4.91

-85.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$5.10 CHF 4.21

-90.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$8.80 CHF 7.26

-70.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.38 CHF 5.26

-42.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-26.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$3.16 CHF 2.61

-53.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.77 CHF 3.11

-60.21%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.72 CHF 6.36

-72.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$24.91 CHF 20.55

-23.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$29.02 CHF 23.94

-88.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$39.94 CHF 32.94

-72.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.06 CHF 2.52

-4.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.56 CHF 1.28

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.40 CHF 1.98

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.17 CHF 5.09

-66.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.71 CHF 1.41

-11.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-35.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-51.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.18 CHF 0.97

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.98 CHF 9.06

-61.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.23 CHF 9.26

67.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.28 CHF 1.88

24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-64.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$86.4 CHF 71.2

-34.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.62 CHF 5.46

-54.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$4.76 CHF 3.93

-78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$79.2 CHF 65.3

-95.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-34.08%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-30.22%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

-30.85%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$312 CHF 257

-69.12%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$37.60 CHF 31.01

-70.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$54.0 CHF 44.50

-68.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$79.6 CHF 65.6

-15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$28.27 CHF 23.32

-73.47%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,308 CHF 1,904

-79.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

-65.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$144 CHF 119

-56.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$64.0 CHF 52.8

-55.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$146 CHF 120

-35.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$183 CHF 151

-53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,895 CHF 1,563

-62.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,504 CHF 1,240

-67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,868 CHF 2,366

-32.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,256 CHF 1,860

-36.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$11.3K CHF 9,283

-62.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$8,285 CHF 6,833

-63.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$6,694 CHF 5,521

-92.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.1

165.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

St. Gallen

$1.5K 43.6% 206% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

St. Gallen

$575 16.7% 116% $309

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

St. Gallen

$404 11.7% 224% $279

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

St. Gallen

$242 7% 98.6% $120

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

St. Gallen

$458 13.3% 276% $336

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

St. Gallen

$136 3.9% 65.5% $54

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

St. Gallen

$133 3.9% 88.6% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,895 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $144 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $575 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

78,213

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket St. Gallen 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
St. Gallen

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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 63% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% 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 $1,895 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $2,308 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in St. Gallen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,451 in St. Gallen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. 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 St. Gallen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.