Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $896 in Yala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,481 in Yala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,065 in Yala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than Yala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Yala 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.52 ฿49.87

204.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.80 ฿909

68.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.42 ฿210

37.69%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.02 ฿66.2

48.51%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.58 ฿18.86

27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.22 ฿7.19

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.39 ฿78.3

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.81 ฿125

-5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.77 ฿57.8

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.39 ฿45.51

32.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.28 ฿41.79

75.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.22 ฿72.7

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.71 ฿612

5.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.05 ฿99.9

19.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.89 ฿356

20.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.24 ฿106

4.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.26 ฿41.19

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.91 ฿62.4

26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.53 ฿49.99

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.47 ฿48.09

6.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.25 ฿40.82

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.98 ฿32.00

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.52 ฿16.94

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.31 ฿141

3.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$16.49 ฿539

14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.74 ฿56.9

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.76 ฿90.3

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.61 ฿19.94

129.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.07 ฿34.85

191.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.16 ฿37.93

-13.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.02 ฿197

134.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 ฿34.66

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.9K ฿910.8K

-2.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K ฿897.0K

20.01%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$77.3 ฿2,527

61.70%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.28 ฿402

10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.90 ฿618

-2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$50.0 ฿1,636

22.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.43 ฿406

35.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.29 ฿238

26.06%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$298 ฿9,758

133.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,536 ฿311.8K

63.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$34.08 ฿1,114

69.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.93 ฿1,142

0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$97.8 ฿3,199

15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$71.5 ฿2,337

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$421 ฿13.8K

46.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$286 ฿9,366

55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$810 ฿26.5K

152.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$650 ฿21.3K

129.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,064 ฿67.5K

83.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,483 ฿48.5K

78.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.45

-2.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Yala: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $421 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $253 per month, with Yala 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 Yala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,345 in Yala 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $421 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $298 in Yala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yala – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Yala versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yala 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yala 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 Yala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.