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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,525 in Thun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $5,293 in Thun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $7,060 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

$4.70 ฿153

$28.21 CHF 22.26

-83.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$124 CHF 97.7

-63.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$17.30 CHF 13.66

-51.27%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.89 CHF 4.65

-50.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$4.75 CHF 3.75

-85.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$4.83 CHF 3.81

-92.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$8.48 CHF 6.69

-71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.67 CHF 6.05

-51.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$3.40 CHF 2.69

-46.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$4.13 CHF 3.26

-47.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$7.32 CHF 5.78

-69.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$26.79 CHF 21.15

-26.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$28.73 CHF 22.68

-87.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$41.10 CHF 32.44

-67.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.56 CHF 2.81

-7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.15 CHF 1.70

-25.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.79 CHF 2.20

-13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.33 CHF 4.99

-67.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-31.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.54 CHF 2.01

-61.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.11 CHF 0.87

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$11.10 CHF 8.76

-60.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$12.65 CHF 9.98

53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.90 CHF 1.50

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.29 CHF 1.80

18.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$3.83 CHF 3.02

-64.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$100.0 CHF 78.9

-88.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$7.90 CHF 6.23

-61.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.30 CHF 2.61

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$66.2 CHF 52.3

-78.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.24 CHF 1.77

-39.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$40.3K CHF 31.8K

-29.98%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$40.8K CHF 32.2K

-19.29%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$366 CHF 289

-66.72%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$59.6 CHF 47.00

-77.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$59.2 CHF 46.75

-69.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$86.5 CHF 68.3

-30.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$24.60 CHF 19.42

-64.67%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$3,030 CHF 2,391

-77.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$33.9K CHF 26.7K

-53.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$153 CHF 120

-61.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$69.8 CHF 55.1

-50.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$176 CHF 139

-34.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$186 CHF 147

-55.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,687 CHF 1,331

-63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,473 CHF 1,162

-70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,870 CHF 2,265

-27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$2,499 CHF 1,972

-39.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$7,647 CHF 6,035

-65.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$6,206 CHF 4,898

-91.81%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Thun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,687 in Thun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thun pays 1121% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $124 in Thun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 179% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Thun earns 1121% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,687 in Thun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $3,030 in Thun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Thun. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,525 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 179% less than in Thun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.