😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Yaguajay.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Yaguajay.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,174 in Yaguajay.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than Yaguajay, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, Yaguajay9% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56฿148
$6.10CUP 147
-25.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63฿1,517
$17.82CUP 428
161.67%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.47฿275
$7.08CUP 170
19.63%
Cappuccino
$3.03฿98.5
$1.32CUP 31.79
129.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.42
$1.23CUP 29.60
-43.90%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.90
$1.09CUP 26.13
-66.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.49฿80.9
$1.54CUP 36.89
61.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66฿119
$1.80CUP 43.10
103.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.18฿70.9
$2.87CUP 69.0
-24.04%
White Bread(500g)
$1.90฿61.9
$0.82CUP 19.65
131.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.20฿71.5
$2.42CUP 58.0
-9.09%
Eggs
$2.22฿72.3
$3.02CUP 72.5
-26.49%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.99฿650
$5.43CUP 130
268.14%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.66฿119
$5.16CUP 124
-29.07%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.25฿431
$12.03CUP 289
10.14%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿105
$4.77CUP 115
-32.29%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿55.2
$1.08CUP 25.80
57.41%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.39฿77.9
$1.26CUP 30.30
89.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿67.6
$1.33CUP 31.93
56.39%
Potato(1kg)
$1.59฿51.8
$1.77CUP 42.49
-10.17%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.25
$2.74CUP 65.7
-45.99%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.50
$0.98CUP 23.60
5.10%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿16.81
$1.09CUP 26.07
-52.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25฿138
$3.47CUP 83.3
22.48%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.79฿611
$10.15CUP 244
85.12%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76฿57.2
$1.78CUP 42.84
-1.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76฿89.7
$1.89CUP 45.42
46.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36฿44.26
$0.17CUP 4.10
700.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.36฿370
$20.40CUP 490
-44.31%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.14฿102
$2.05CUP 49.31
53.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿33.70
$0.41CUP 9.85
153.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.77฿448
$19.84CUP 476
-30.59%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.34฿43.74
$1.27CUP 30.40
5.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K฿900.3K
$66.6KCUP 1.6M
-58.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K฿1.1M
$73.8KCUP 1.8M
-54.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$124฿4,020
$34.60CUP 830
257.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52฿440
$39.96CUP 959
-66.17%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69฿608
$249CUP 5,968
-92.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.8฿2,011
$39.38CUP 945
56.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25฿561
$14.78CUP 355
16.71%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14฿297
$1.02CUP 24.46
796.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$703฿22.9K
$117CUP 2,801
501.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.9K฿516.3K
$11.2KCUP 269.4K
41.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,934
$39.62CUP 951
50.08%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07฿1,141
$29.97CUP 719
17.02%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,750
$76.3CUP 1,831
51.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1฿2,734
$78.7CUP 1,889
6.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿20.1K
$369CUP 8,868
67.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$433฿14.1K
$384CUP 9,212
12.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,062฿67.1K
$1,009CUP 24.2K
104.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,511฿49.2K
$606CUP 14.5K
149.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,646฿118.6K
$391CUP 9,387
832.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,626฿85.4K
$347CUP 8,320
657.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Yaguajay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$507฿16.5K
$53.3CUP 1,279
851.40%
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: June 7, 2026
Last update for Yaguajay: June 9, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $369 in Yaguajay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 851% 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 $293 vs $240 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. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Yaguajay?
Phuket pays 851% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $369 in Yaguajay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $703 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 22% 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 $1,219 in Yaguajay versus $1,261 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.