😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,215 in Yaguajay.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,695 in Yaguajay.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,175 in Yaguajay.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Yaguajay, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket8% lower, Yaguajay9% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$5.90CUP 142
-21.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$17.69CUP 425
164.78%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$7.01CUP 168
26.11%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$1.33CUP 31.92
125.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$1.28CUP 30.62
-42.19%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$1.07CUP 25.76
-65.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$1.46CUP 35.02
67.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$1.73CUP 41.57
108.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$2.86CUP 68.5
-20.98%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$0.83CUP 20.02
121.69%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$2.37CUP 56.9
-5.49%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$3.07CUP 73.6
-24.43%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$5.73CUP 138
243.28%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$5.13CUP 123
-28.85%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$11.94CUP 287
9.72%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$4.93CUP 118
-31.24%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$1.08CUP 26.00
51.85%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$1.32CUP 31.77
82.58%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$1.33CUP 31.84
52.63%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.75CUP 42.03
-10.86%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$2.69CUP 64.7
-44.24%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.02CUP 24.56
-
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$1.08CUP 25.89
-54.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$3.56CUP 85.4
25.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$10.07CUP 242
87.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.78CUP 42.77
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$1.92CUP 45.97
43.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$0.19CUP 4.47
636.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$20.08CUP 482
-42.83%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$2.02CUP 48.52
54.46%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$0.41CUP 9.95
143.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$19.65CUP 472
-28.30%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.23CUP 29.42
9.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$67.1KCUP 1.6M
-59.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$76.5KCUP 1.8M
-56.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$34.84CUP 836
258.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$40.57CUP 974
-66.55%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$254CUP 6,087
-92.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$40.72CUP 977
50.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
$15.01CUP 360
12.19%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$0.98CUP 23.50
837.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$117CUP 2,809
496.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$11.2KCUP 269.7K
38.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$39.66CUP 952
45.64%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$29.86CUP 717
18.02%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$76.2CUP 1,829
48.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$80.0CUP 1,920
7.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$366CUP 8,777
68.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$385CUP 9,252
15.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$1,008CUP 24.2K
103.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$604CUP 14.5K
147.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$395CUP 9,479
856.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$339CUP 8,127
682.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
$53.4CUP 1,281
881.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
8.33
-36.01%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Last update for Yaguajay: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $366 in Yaguajay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 881% 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 Phuket vs $18.00 in Yaguajay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $241 per month, with Yaguajay 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 Yaguajay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yaguajay cheaper than Phuket?
Yaguajay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Yaguajay?
Phuket pays 881% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Yaguajay?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $366 in Yaguajay. 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 $117 in Yaguajay. 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 Yaguajay?
Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 Yaguajay?
At $1,215 in Yaguajay versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaguajay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yaguajay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Yaguajay more family-friendly?
For families, Yaguajay 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 Yaguajay?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Yaguajay 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 Yaguajay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.