Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vinh Yen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vinh Yen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $730 in Vinh Yen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,144 in Vinh Yen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,559 in Vinh Yen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than Vinh Yen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Vinh Yen 46% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$1.94 â‚Ŧ51.0K
138.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
$21.46 â‚Ŧ562.9K
118.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ289
$4.34 â‚Ŧ113.8K
103.69%
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
$1.61 â‚Ŧ42.1K
86.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
$0.51 â‚Ŧ13.3K
45.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
$0.30 â‚Ŧ7,929
23.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
$0.98 â‚Ŧ25.6K
148.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ118
$1.56 â‚Ŧ40.9K
131.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
$1.38 â‚Ŧ36.2K
63.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
$0.91 â‚Ŧ23.9K
102.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
$0.98 â‚Ŧ25.8K
128.57%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
$1.47 â‚Ŧ38.5K
57.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ643
$11.62 â‚Ŧ305.0K
69.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$3.78 â‚Ŧ99.3K
-3.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ428
$10.08 â‚Ŧ264.3K
29.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ111
$2.74 â‚Ŧ71.8K
23.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
$1.01 â‚Ŧ26.5K
62.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
$1.33 â‚Ŧ34.9K
81.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
$1.07 â‚Ŧ28.2K
89.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
$1.02 â‚Ŧ26.8K
52.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
$1.05 â‚Ŧ27.6K
42.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
$0.60 â‚Ŧ15.7K
70.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
$0.48 â‚Ŧ12.5K
2.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$1.32 â‚Ŧ34.6K
237.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ617
$10.93 â‚Ŧ286.7K
72.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
$0.75 â‚Ŧ19.7K
137.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
$1.65 â‚Ŧ43.3K
66.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
$0.34 â‚Ŧ8,970
311.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ376
$6.43 â‚Ŧ168.8K
78.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ102
$0.75 â‚Ŧ19.7K
316.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
$0.65 â‚Ŧ17.1K
53.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ461
$2.85 â‚Ŧ74.7K
394.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
$0.89 â‚Ŧ23.4K
51.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
$34.8K â‚Ŧ914.2M
-21.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$31.6K â‚Ŧ828.5M
4.25%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,087
$76.0 â‚Ŧ2.0M
64.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ444
$5.80 â‚Ŧ152.1K
133.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ606
$8.47 â‚Ŧ222.2K
118.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
$21.05 â‚Ŧ552.3K
192.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ551
$7.84 â‚Ŧ205.7K
114.80%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ300
$3.15 â‚Ŧ82.7K
191.75%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.8K
$269 â‚Ŧ7.0M
159.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
$11.7K â‚Ŧ306.6M
33.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
$40.52 â‚Ŧ1.1M
42.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
$23.37 â‚Ŧ613.2K
50.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,699
$87.6 â‚Ŧ2.3M
29.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
$75.5 â‚Ŧ2.0M
14.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.1K
$355 â‚Ŧ9.3M
73.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.6K
$252 â‚Ŧ6.6M
76.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
$684 â‚Ŧ17.9M
199.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
$469 â‚Ŧ12.3M
218.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
$3,564 â‚Ŧ93.5M
6.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
$1,256 â‚Ŧ33.0M
110.89%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Vinh Yen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
9.1
-41.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Vinh Yen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $355 in Vinh Yen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Vinh Yen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $189 per month, with Vinh Yen 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
Phuket vs Vinh Yen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vinh Yen cheaper than Phuket?
Vinh Yen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,095 in Vinh Yen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Vinh Yen?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $355 in Vinh Yen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $269 in Vinh Yen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Vinh Yen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or Vinh Yen?
At $730 in Vinh Yen versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vinh Yen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vinh Yen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Vinh Yen more family-friendly?
For families, Vinh Yen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Vinh Yen?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Vinh Yen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Vinh Yen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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