Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sion and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,284 in Sion versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,960 in Sion versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,636 in Sion versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sion is roughly 162% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sion is 139% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 CHF 24.61

$4.56 ฿151

563.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 CHF 75.8

$32.62 ฿1,082

185.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.37 CHF 16.56

$8.90 ฿295

128.88%

Cappuccino

$4.48 CHF 3.64

$2.80 ฿93.0

60.00%

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

$4.93 CHF 4.01

$0.88 ฿29.19

460.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 CHF 3.31

$0.49 ฿16.23

730.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 CHF 5.91

$2.39 ฿79.2

204.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 CHF 5.98

$3.71 ฿123

98.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CHF 1.62

$1.79 ฿59.3

11.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 3.01

$1.44 ฿47.81

156.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CHF 3.49

$1.58 ฿52.6

172.15%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.09

$2.13 ฿70.5

251.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.80 CHF 20.98

$19.92 ฿661

29.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.59 CHF 19.18

$3.43 ฿114

587.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.76 CHF 33.13

$11.33 ฿376

259.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.68

$2.95 ฿97.8

11.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.35

$1.72 ฿57.1

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.03

$2.32 ฿77.1

7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 CHF 5.08

$2.08 ฿69.0

200.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 CHF 1.56

$1.47 ฿48.77

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.74

$1.36 ฿45.05

58.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 CHF 1.98

$1.10 ฿36.45

121.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.96

$0.57 ฿19.06

107.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 CHF 8.94

$4.27 ฿142

157.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.49 CHF 10.16

$18.42 ฿611

-32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 CHF 1.48

$1.87 ฿62.1

-2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CHF 1.52

$2.92 ฿96.9

-35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 CHF 4.39

$2.22 ฿73.6

142.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$187 CHF 152

$22.90 ฿759

716.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 CHF 4.93

$3.03 ฿101

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.52 CHF 4.49

$1.07 ฿35.63

415.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.88 CHF 40.55

$3.93 ฿130

1169.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.49 ฿49.49

53.69%

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

$35.8K CHF 29.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

31.97%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.3K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

44.90%

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

$295 CHF 240

$103 ฿3,410

186.99%

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

$22.71 CHF 18.46

$10.99 ฿365

106.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.88 CHF 40.55

$17.51 ฿581

184.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$142 CHF 116

$53.5 ฿1,776

166.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.6 CHF 45.23

$11.20 ฿371

396.70%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 CHF 16.49

$7.48 ฿248

171.12%

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

$1,002 CHF 814

$557 ฿18.5K

79.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K CHF 28.7K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

197.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$167 CHF 136

$64.1 ฿2,125

160.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 CHF 47.45

$29.07 ฿964

100.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 CHF 148

$96.0 ฿3,183

89.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 CHF 123

$90.3 ฿2,997

67.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CHF 1,024

$730 ฿24.2K

72.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CHF 1,044

$500 ฿16.6K

156.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 CHF 1,874

$2,090 ฿69.3K

10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CHF 1,712

$1,209 ฿40.1K

74.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,652 CHF 6,221

$3,596 ฿119.3K

112.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,660 CHF 4,602

$2,512 ฿83.3K

125.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,995 CHF 4,874

$503 ฿16.7K

1090.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.15

5.57

-61.40%

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

Last update for Sion: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Sion and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sion pays 1091% 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: $93.0 in Sion vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $561 vs $273 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

Sion vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 162% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1091% higher in Sion, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Sion versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,002 in Sion versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Sion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,284 in Sion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sion. 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 Sion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sion and Phuket 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 162% less than in Sion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.