Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $3,568 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,568 in Yens.

Phuket $1,294
Yens $3,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $5,328 in Yens.

Phuket $2,204
Yens $5,328

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $7,088 in Yens.

Phuket $3,115
Yens $7,088

Living in Phuket costs roughly 64% less than in Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Yens is 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$29.48 CHF 24.07

-85.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$116 CHF 94.4

-72.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$16.12 CHF 13.16

-46.03%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$6.35 CHF 5.19

-57.17%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$5.07 CHF 4.14

-81.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$4.04 CHF 3.30

-87.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$9.34 CHF 7.63

-72.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.91 CHF 6.46

-54.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-23.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$3.06 CHF 2.50

-52.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.32 CHF 2.71

-54.82%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$7.55 CHF 6.17

-71.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$24.49 CHF 19.99

-22.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$27.77 CHF 22.67

-87.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$40.09 CHF 32.73

-72.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-19.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.00 CHF 1.63

-15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.74 CHF 3.87

-55.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.66 CHF 1.35

-12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$1.97 CHF 1.61

-30.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$2.08 CHF 1.70

-48.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$1.37 CHF 1.12

-59.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$11.04 CHF 9.01

-59.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$12.38 CHF 10.10

47.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$2.23 CHF 1.82

-20.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.05 CHF 2.49

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$3.99 CHF 3.26

-63.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$107 CHF 87.7

-48.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$7.99 CHF 6.52

-81.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$4.69 CHF 3.83

-83.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$85.7 CHF 70.0

-95.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-36.32%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

-31.16%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-34.03%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$280 CHF 229

-65.08%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$28.64 CHF 23.38

-60.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$53.4 CHF 43.61

-67.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$76.2 CHF 62.2

-10.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$47.19 CHF 38.52

-76.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$24.30 CHF 19.84

-69.42%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$2,957 CHF 2,414

-82.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$35.6K CHF 29.1K

-47.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$143 CHF 117

-56.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$61.4 CHF 50.1

-54.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$141 CHF 115

-32.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$195 CHF 159

-55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,735 CHF 1,416

-58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,655 CHF 1,351

-69.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$2,868 CHF 2,342

-32.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-47.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

$16.6K CHF 13.6K

-74.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

$11.5K CHF 9,368

-71.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

1.95

185.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Yens

$1.7K 46.4% 225% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Yens

$569 16% 113% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Yens

$362 10.2% 187% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Yens

$243 6.8% 98.3% $121

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Yens

$459 12.9% 284% $340

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Yens

$125 3.5% 50% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Yens

$155 4.3% 134% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,735 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $116 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $569 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

10:32 10:32 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Yens 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $5,352 in Yens 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,735 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $2,957 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 113% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,568 in Yens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yens. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yens are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.