Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,475 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Staefa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,475 in Staefa.

Phuket $1,278
Staefa $3,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,304 in Staefa.

Phuket $2,216
Staefa $5,304

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $7,132 in Staefa.

Phuket $3,154
Staefa $7,132

Living in Phuket costs roughly 63% less than in Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Staefa is 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$33.44 CHF 27.74

-86.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$122 CHF 101

-73.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$16.20 CHF 13.44

-45.62%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$6.25 CHF 5.19

-54.72%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$5.69 CHF 4.72

-84.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$5.10 CHF 4.23

-90.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$8.37 CHF 6.95

-69.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$8.60 CHF 7.13

-57.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-23.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$3.28 CHF 2.72

-55.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.89 CHF 3.22

-61.44%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$8.36 CHF 6.93

-75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$26.66 CHF 22.11

-28.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$26.56 CHF 22.03

-87.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$55.3 CHF 45.86

-80.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.49 CHF 2.89

-16.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.78 CHF 2.31

-39.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.58 CHF 2.97

-37.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.52 CHF 3.75

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.47 CHF 2.05

-38.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.19 CHF 1.82

-36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.45 CHF 2.03

-56.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.29 CHF 1.07

-59.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.68 CHF 8.86

-60.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.15 CHF 11.74

32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.75 CHF 2.28

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.21 CHF 2.66

-11.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$4.36 CHF 3.61

-66.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$101 CHF 83.6

-43.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$7.54 CHF 6.25

-59.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$4.69 CHF 3.89

-78.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$86.9 CHF 72.1

-95.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$2.32 CHF 1.92

-36.64%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

-31.67%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$38.5K CHF 32.0K

-30.76%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$232 CHF 193

-58.51%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$32.86 CHF 27.26

-65.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$55.5 CHF 46.08

-69.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$91.1 CHF 75.6

-26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$46.55 CHF 38.62

-76.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$21.56 CHF 17.88

-65.21%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,904 CHF 2,409

-83.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$42.2K CHF 35.0K

-73.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$139 CHF 115

-54.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$58.4 CHF 48.42

-51.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$145 CHF 121

-35.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$170 CHF 141

-49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,760 CHF 1,460

-59.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,509 CHF 1,252

-67.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$2,982 CHF 2,474

-35.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,507 CHF 2,080

-42.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

-74.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

-74.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.72

223.84%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Staefa

$1.5K 43.4% 207% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Staefa

$639 18.4% 140% $372

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Staefa

$321 9.2% 158% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Staefa

$230 6.6% 89% $108

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Staefa

$493 14.2% 305% $372

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Staefa

$134 3.9% 63.3% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Staefa

$149 4.3% 111% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,760 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $122 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $639 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

14:00 2:00 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,567

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Staefa 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Staefa

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $5,213 in Staefa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,760 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $2,904 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 140% higher in Staefa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,475 in Staefa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Staefa. 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 Staefa 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 63% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.