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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $908 in Yala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Yala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,122 in Yala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than in Yala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Yala 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.48 ฿49.05

214.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$21.80 ฿720

47.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.75 ฿223

28.59%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.14 ฿70.8

35.51%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.57 ฿18.94

47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.23 ฿7.52

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.23 ฿73.7

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.26 ฿108

14.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.94 ฿64.0

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.59 ฿52.7

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.22 ฿40.38

32.79%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.02 ฿66.8

10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$18.34 ฿606

8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.65 ฿87.4

31.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.67 ฿320

17.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.57 ฿118

-18.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.23 ฿40.67

39.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.47 ฿81.6

-8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.92 ฿63.3

10.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.47 ฿48.53

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.21 ฿40.08

17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.14 ฿37.74

-3.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.50 ฿16.38

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.82 ฿126

12.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$16.37 ฿541

13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.64 ฿54.2

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.95 ฿97.6

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.59 ฿19.55

281.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.24 ฿40.82

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.22 ฿40.31

-11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.91 ฿129

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.36 ฿45.10

5.15%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$26.5K ฿874.1K

5.02%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$27.3K ฿903.0K

-1.27%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$80.6 ฿2,663

30.01%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$12.11 ฿400

-5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$16.78 ฿555

4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$53.7 ฿1,775

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$14.30 ฿473

-20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.74 ฿223

15.43%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$599 ฿19.8K

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$10.2K ฿336.0K

13.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$48.59 ฿1,605

30.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$26.30 ฿869

10.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$77.9 ฿2,573

23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$72.7 ฿2,402

23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$448 ฿14.8K

63.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$302 ฿9,990

65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,253 ฿41.4K

69.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$825 ฿27.3K

51.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,819 ฿60.1K

94.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,558 ฿51.5K

68.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Yala: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $448 in Yala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Yala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $254 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, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,362 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: $733 in Phuket versus $448 in Yala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $599 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 $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Yala versus $1,265 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 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.