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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,459 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $5,306 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $7,154 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 8% below, Staefa is 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$30.55 CHF 24.93

-84.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$125 CHF 102

-74.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$16.86 CHF 13.76

-48.52%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$6.51 CHF 5.32

-55.45%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$5.77 CHF 4.71

-85.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$5.26 CHF 4.29

-90.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$8.53 CHF 6.96

-70.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$8.58 CHF 7.00

-56.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-15.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.50 CHF 2.86

-59.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$3.82 CHF 3.12

-57.59%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$8.44 CHF 6.89

-73.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$26.86 CHF 21.92

-26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$26.23 CHF 21.40

-86.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$56.4 CHF 46.03

-79.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.54 CHF 2.89

-18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-40.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.52 CHF 2.87

-35.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$4.81 CHF 3.92

-55.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.68 CHF 2.19

-45.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.62 CHF 2.14

-58.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.34 CHF 1.09

-55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$11.21 CHF 9.15

-61.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$13.71 CHF 11.19

35.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.78 CHF 2.27

-35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.94 CHF 2.40

1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$4.41 CHF 3.60

-48.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$102 CHF 83.0

-76.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$7.98 CHF 6.52

-61.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-77.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$87.7 CHF 71.6

-95.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.41 CHF 1.96

-40.66%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

-30.93%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

-33.56%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$240 CHF 196

-56.26%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$33.33 CHF 27.20

-65.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$57.1 CHF 46.60

-69.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$104 CHF 84.6

-47.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$46.60 CHF 38.03

-75.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$22.05 CHF 18.00

-64.72%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$2,953 CHF 2,410

-80.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$43.6K CHF 35.6K

-73.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$142 CHF 116

-55.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$59.2 CHF 48.33

-50.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$149 CHF 122

-35.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$174 CHF 142

-48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,486 CHF 1,213

-50.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$1,526 CHF 1,246

-67.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$2,762 CHF 2,254

-23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$2,220 CHF 1,812

-43.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-76.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$12.7K CHF 10.4K

-79.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Staefa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,486 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $125 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 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, Getting Around. The 173% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $5,188 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,486 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $2,953 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Staefa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,459 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.