Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Uster

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,689 in Uster, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
Learn more

Uster Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Uster

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,689 in Uster.

Phuket $1,207
Uster $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $5,289 in Uster.

Phuket $2,037
Uster $5,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $6,889 in Uster.

Phuket $2,867
Uster $6,889

Living in Phuket costs roughly 67% less than in Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Uster is 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-84.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$120 CHF 98.7

-72.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-53.38%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-54.97%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-82.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$4.79 CHF 3.95

-89.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$8.59 CHF 7.08

-69.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.73 CHF 5.54

-43.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-57.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-65.15%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-70.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-88.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-73.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.44 CHF 2.84

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.81 CHF 2.31

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$4.58 CHF 3.78

-53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-58.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$10.65 CHF 8.77

-60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$12.97 CHF 10.69

40.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.34 CHF 2.75

-16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-51.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$99.8 CHF 82.2

-77.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$5.46 CHF 4.50

-46.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-69.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$59.4 CHF 48.94

-93.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-31.96%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-38.34%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-32.75%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$233 CHF 192

-57.34%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$31.89 CHF 26.26

-64.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$65.4 CHF 53.8

-73.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$45.51 CHF 37.49

-76.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$21.75 CHF 17.92

-65.20%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,802 CHF 1,484

-69.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-64.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$164 CHF 135

-61.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-66.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$143 CHF 118

-32.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$173 CHF 142

-49.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,678 CHF 1,382

-56.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,759 CHF 1,448

-73.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$2,928 CHF 2,412

-28.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$2,382 CHF 1,962

-48.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

-78.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$12.1K CHF 9,993

-79.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-92.80%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 282% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Uster

$623 16.9% 133% $355

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Uster

$330 9% 158% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Uster

$255 6.9% 106% $131

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Uster

$465 12.6% 284% $344

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Uster

$117 3.2% 73.7% $50

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Uster

$140 3.8% 260% $101

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,678 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 1289% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $120 in Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $623 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

09:19 9:19 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

33,097

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Uster 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Uster

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 206% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1289% lower in Uster. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,678 in Uster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,802 in Uster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Uster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,689 in Uster, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Uster. 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 Uster, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Uster 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 206% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.