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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Phuket is roughly 71% more expensive than Hat Yai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.00 ฿98.0

56.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$46.62 ฿1,523

-2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.29 ฿140

96.50%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.70 ฿88.0

8.52%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.16 ฿37.98

-40.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.48 ฿15.60

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.81 ฿59.2

33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.64 ฿119

2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.58 ฿51.7

41.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.27 ฿41.50

44.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.29 ฿42.21

68.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.60 ฿84.9

-15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$22.58 ฿738

-12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.42 ฿79.0

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.77 ฿384

14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.64 ฿86.2

24.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.43 ฿46.84

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.02 ฿65.9

19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.55 ฿50.6

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.47 ฿47.86

4.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.07 ฿34.86

38.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.02 ฿33.42

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.39 ฿12.65

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.34 ฿142

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$15.45 ฿504

25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.78 ฿58.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.97 ฿64.4

37.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.60 ฿19.73

128.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.05 ฿34.42

187.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.15 ฿37.45

-13.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.06 ฿198

132.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.36 ฿44.44

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.1K ฿624.5K

47.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$45.3K ฿1.5M

-27.43%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$89.2 ฿2,914

36.39%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.76 ฿449

-1.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.80 ฿320

86.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$50.3 ฿1,641

19.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.40 ฿405

38.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.44 ฿243

16.80%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$299 ฿9,764

131.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$9,775 ฿319.2K

60.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$37.90 ฿1,238

57.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.11 ฿918

23.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$72.8 ฿2,376

57.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$70.2 ฿2,292

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$277 ฿9,040

121.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$114 ฿3,732

282.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$748 ฿24.4K

179.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$405 ฿13.2K

272.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,962 ฿64.1K

91.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,702 ฿55.6K

53.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$473 ฿15.4K

7.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.36

-16.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $277 in Hat Yai. 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $256, 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

Phuket vs Hat Yai: 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.

Phuket pays 7% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $277 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $299 in Hat Yai. 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, Phuket and Hat Yai 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.