Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $733 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hat Yai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $733 in Hat Yai.

Phuket $1,278
Hat Yai $733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,306 in Hat Yai.

Phuket $2,216
Hat Yai $1,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,880 in Hat Yai.

Phuket $3,154
Hat Yai $1,880

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hat Yai 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.03 ฿102

47.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$45.53 ฿1,538

-28.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.65 ฿123

141.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.80 ฿94.6

1.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.27 ฿42.80

-31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.53 ฿17.99

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.77 ฿59.8

44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.65 ฿123

0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.46 ฿49.32

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.18 ฿40.01

23.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.28 ฿43.24

17.19%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.48 ฿83.6

-15.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$22.28 ฿752

-14.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.24 ฿75.8

47.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.20 ฿378

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.56 ฿86.4

14.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.44 ฿48.49

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.88 ฿63.6

19.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.97 ฿66.4

5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.52 ฿51.2

-0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.02 ฿34.53

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.11 ฿37.41

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.41 ฿13.79

26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.30 ฿145

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.17 ฿512

23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.74 ฿58.8

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.89 ฿63.9

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.58 ฿19.75

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.21 ฿40.78

149.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.14 ฿38.48

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.09 ฿205

-39.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.36 ฿45.78

8.09%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$18.5K ฿623.8K

44.96%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$43.9K ฿1.5M

-39.21%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$83.6 ฿2,822

15.28%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$11.67 ฿394

-3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$9.49 ฿320

77.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$47.27 ฿1,596

42.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.15 ฿444

-18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.08 ฿239

5.93%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$564 ฿19.1K

-15.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.9K ฿369.1K

3.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$37.35 ฿1,261

66.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$27.28 ฿921

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$71.0 ฿2,398

32.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$95.9 ฿3,240

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$266 ฿8,999

168.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$111 ฿3,748

342.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$731 ฿24.7K

163.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$398 ฿13.4K

259.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,933 ฿65.3K

116.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,469 ฿49.6K

107.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$460 ฿15.5K

9.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.36

-12.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Hat Yai

$111 15.1% 77.4% $380

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Hat Yai

$251 34.2% 5.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Hat Yai

$105 14.3% 15.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hat Yai

$104 14.2% 14.5% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 24.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Hat Yai

$61 8.4% 25.3% $21

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3% 86.9% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $266 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: $32 in Phuket vs $46 in Hat Yai. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $251, with Hat Yai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

156,802

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Phuket Hat Yai 250 km

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Phuket
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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 Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 43% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $266 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $564 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $46 in Hat Yai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Hat Yai wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.