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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $752 in Hat Yai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,338 in Hat Yai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,925 in Hat Yai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than in Hat Yai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hat Yai 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.16 ฿106

43.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$46.15 ฿1,553

0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.20 ฿141

110.48%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.71 ฿91.3

12.92%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.17 ฿39.42

-37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.47 ฿15.98

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.86 ฿62.7

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.74 ฿126

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.56 ฿52.7

44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.24 ฿41.60

45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.29 ฿43.45

74.42%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.57 ฿86.6

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$22.76 ฿766

-14.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.37 ฿79.8

54.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.37 ฿383

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.55 ฿85.8

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 ฿47.83

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.02 ฿67.9

17.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.58 ฿53.3

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.46 ฿49.24

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.11 ฿37.23

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.00 ฿33.66

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.35 ฿11.93

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.52 ฿152

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$14.76 ฿497

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.85 ฿62.2

0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.04 ฿68.7

31.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.65 ฿21.87

116.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.09 ฿36.76

185.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.19 ฿40.21

-12.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.06 ฿204

132.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.34 ฿45.16

-2.24%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$19.5K ฿657.7K

42.31%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$45.5K ฿1.5M

-26.95%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$89.2 ฿3,003

37.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.80 ฿464

-1.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.00 ฿337

87.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$49.83 ฿1,677

21.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$12.07 ฿406

40.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.59 ฿256

19.50%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$295 ฿9,924

139.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$9,571 ฿322.1K

65.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$39.26 ฿1,321

49.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$27.51 ฿926

28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$73.1 ฿2,459

57.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$71.1 ฿2,391

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$272 ฿9,148

130.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$115 ฿3,872

286.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$753 ฿25.3K

170.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$416 ฿14.0K

259.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,937 ฿65.2K

79.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,250 ฿42.1K

106.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$459 ฿15.4K

8.88%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $272 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 9% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $253, 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 66% 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.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $272 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $295 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 $46.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $752 in Hat Yai versus $1,250 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 $752 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.