Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Staefa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Staefa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,444 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $5,370 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $7,295 in Staefa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 63% less than in Staefa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Staefa is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$31.05 CHF 25.39

-85.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$148 CHF 121

-68.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$18.71 CHF 15.30

-53.77%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$6.44 CHF 5.26

-52.02%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$5.66 CHF 4.63

-87.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$5.38 CHF 4.40

-93.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$7.58 CHF 6.20

-68.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$6.92 CHF 5.66

-44.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-3.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$2.76 CHF 2.26

-34.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$3.50 CHF 2.87

-37.71%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$8.14 CHF 6.66

-72.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$27.56 CHF 22.53

-27.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$32.68 CHF 26.72

-88.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$50.1 CHF 40.97

-72.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.17 CHF 2.59

3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.81 CHF 2.30

-39.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$3.00 CHF 2.45

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$5.17 CHF 4.23

-60.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.82 CHF 2.30

-43.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-36.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$2.53 CHF 2.07

-60.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.27 CHF 1.04

-62.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$11.29 CHF 9.23

-60.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$13.46 CHF 11.01

38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$2.67 CHF 2.18

-32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.32 CHF 1.89

20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-62.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$99.0 CHF 81.0

-88.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$6.68 CHF 5.46

-53.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$4.17 CHF 3.41

-75.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$42.69 CHF 34.91

-68.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$2.22 CHF 1.82

-40.99%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

-31.88%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

-17.20%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$260 CHF 213

-52.63%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$35.12 CHF 28.72

-60.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$53.9 CHF 44.09

-65.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$89.6 CHF 73.3

-32.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$24.96 CHF 20.41

-64.38%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$2,865 CHF 2,343

-76.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

-60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$140 CHF 114

-58.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$61.1 CHF 49.95

-43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$145 CHF 119

-20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$198 CHF 162

-57.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$1,710 CHF 1,398

-63.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$1,466 CHF 1,199

-69.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$2,797 CHF 2,287

-26.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$2,423 CHF 1,981

-37.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$16.1K CHF 13.2K

-77.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$10.8K CHF 8,798

-76.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.09

155.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Staefa: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $1,710 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $148 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $647 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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 173% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $5,166 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: $618 in Phuket versus $1,710 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $2,865 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Staefa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $3,444 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.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Staefa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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 173% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.