Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $739 in Hat Yai versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,319 in Hat Yai versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,898 in Hat Yai versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Hat Yai costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hat Yai 45% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.70 ฿153

-36.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,523

$45.37 ฿1,482

2.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.29 ฿140

$8.43 ฿275

-49.11%

Cappuccino

$2.70 ฿88.0

$2.93 ฿95.6

-7.85%

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

$1.16 ฿37.98

$0.69 ฿22.40

68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.60

$0.37 ฿11.99

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 ฿59.2

$2.41 ฿78.6

-24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿119

$3.72 ฿122

-2.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ฿51.7

$2.23 ฿72.9

-29.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ฿41.50

$1.83 ฿59.8

-30.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ฿42.21

$2.17 ฿70.8

-40.55%

Eggs

$2.60 ฿84.9

$2.21 ฿72.3

17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.58 ฿738

$19.74 ฿645

14.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 ฿79.0

$3.63 ฿119

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 ฿384

$13.53 ฿442

-13.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 ฿86.2

$3.28 ฿107

-19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ฿46.84

$1.61 ฿52.6

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ฿65.9

$2.41 ฿78.6

-16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.6

$2.08 ฿68.1

-25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿47.86

$1.53 ฿49.93

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿34.86

$1.48 ฿48.36

-27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.42

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.65

$0.51 ฿16.67

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 ฿142

$4.41 ฿144

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 ฿504

$19.38 ฿633

-20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.0

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ฿64.4

$2.71 ฿88.6

-27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 ฿19.73

$1.37 ฿44.79

-56.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ฿34.42

$3.02 ฿98.6

-65.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ฿37.45

$0.99 ฿32.48

16.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 ฿198

$14.10 ฿461

-57.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.44

$1.36 ฿44.51

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

$19.1K ฿624.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-32.19%

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

$45.3K ฿1.5M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

37.80%

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

$89.2 ฿2,914

$122 ฿3,975

-26.68%

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

$13.76 ฿449

$13.57 ฿443

1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.80 ฿320

$18.31 ฿598

-46.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 ฿1,641

$60.2 ฿1,967

-16.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 ฿405

$17.14 ฿560

-27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ฿243

$8.69 ฿284

-14.38%

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

$299 ฿9,764

$693 ฿22.6K

-56.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,775 ฿319.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-37.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.90 ฿1,238

$59.5 ฿1,944

-36.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.11 ฿918

$34.77 ฿1,136

-19.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ฿2,376

$115 ฿3,743

-36.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ฿2,292

$83.3 ฿2,720

-15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ฿9,040

$613 ฿20.0K

-54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 ฿3,732

$437 ฿14.3K

-73.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 ฿24.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-64.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 ฿13.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-73.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,962 ฿64.1K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-47.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 ฿55.6K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-34.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 ฿15.4K

$508 ฿16.6K

-6.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

5.33

19.32%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Hat Yai and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 7% 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: $47.00 in Hat Yai vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $256 vs $293, with Hat Yai cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hat Yai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Phuket earns 7% 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: $277 in Hat Yai versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Hat Yai versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Hat Yai versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.