Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thun Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,518 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $5,320 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $7,122 in Thun.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 64% less than in Thun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Thun is 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$28.19 CHF 22.83

-83.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$122 CHF 98.6

-62.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$16.95 CHF 13.73

-47.85%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$6.01 CHF 4.87

-49.08%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$4.73 CHF 3.83

-84.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$4.77 CHF 3.86

-91.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$8.20 CHF 6.64

-70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$7.80 CHF 6.32

-51.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.15 CHF 1.75

5.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.29 CHF 2.67

-44.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.10 CHF 3.32

-45.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$7.16 CHF 5.80

-68.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$27.07 CHF 21.93

-27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$28.91 CHF 23.42

-87.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$41.40 CHF 33.53

-68.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.55 CHF 2.88

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.19 CHF 1.77

-26.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.74 CHF 2.22

-13.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$6.45 CHF 5.22

-68.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.14 CHF 1.74

-28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.24 CHF 1.81

-33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.54 CHF 2.06

-61.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.14 CHF 0.93

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$11.30 CHF 9.15

-60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.19 CHF 9.87

50.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.90 CHF 1.54

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.35 CHF 1.90

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$3.82 CHF 3.09

-63.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$97.6 CHF 79.0

-88.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$7.67 CHF 6.21

-59.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.29 CHF 2.67

-68.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$66.3 CHF 53.7

-78.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.14 CHF 1.73

-38.79%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

-30.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$41.6K CHF 33.7K

-20.08%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$376 CHF 304

-67.42%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$59.0 CHF 47.76

-76.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$57.9 CHF 46.86

-67.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$87.2 CHF 70.7

-30.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$24.20 CHF 19.60

-62.52%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$3,051 CHF 2,472

-76.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$34.7K CHF 28.1K

-54.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$153 CHF 124

-61.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$70.4 CHF 57.0

-49.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$175 CHF 141

-33.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$182 CHF 148

-54.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,714 CHF 1,388

-63.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$1,486 CHF 1,203

-70.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,873 CHF 2,327

-28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$2,419 CHF 1,960

-38.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$7,289 CHF 5,904

-64.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$5,799 CHF 4,697

-91.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.5

113.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Thun: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,714 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 1060% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $122 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $597 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 Thun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1060% lower in Thun. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,714 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $3,051 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Thun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,518 in Thun, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Thun. 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 Thun, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Thun 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 181% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.