Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yangshuo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yangshuo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $719 in Yangshuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,142 in Yangshuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,566 in Yangshuo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Yangshuo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yangshuo 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.73 ¥18.43

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.45 ¥145

115.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.82 ¥32.59

83.40%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.03 ¥20.51

0.99%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.43 ¥2.91

69.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.29 ¥1.97

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.95 ¥6.39

155.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.15 ¥14.53

75.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.81 ¥12.24

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.62 ¥10.95

11.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.91 ¥6.17

147.25%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.59 ¥10.75

41.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.03 ¥88.1

49.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.10 ¥20.95

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.07 ¥68.0

29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.88 ¥12.73

71.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.21 ¥8.20

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.49 ¥10.07

59.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.10 ¥7.45

84.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.74 ¥5.02

106.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.98 ¥6.60

53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.59 ¥4.00

66.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.55 ¥3.72

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.07 ¥20.74

44.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.49 ¥70.9

74.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.80 ¥5.40

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.60 ¥10.83

67.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.29 ¥1.97

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$16.64 ¥112

-29.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.40 ¥9.48

122.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.36 ¥2.41

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.71 ¥45.33

110.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.12 ¥7.59

16.96%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.7K ¥133.0K

41.36%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥114.9K

95.32%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$44.34 ¥300

176.14%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.64 ¥65.1

40.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.65 ¥78.7

60.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$41.58 ¥281

45.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$14.09 ¥95.3

20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.84 ¥39.45

55.31%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$334 ¥2,257

111.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$17.0K ¥114.7K

-6.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$43.93 ¥297

33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.36 ¥205

16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$70.9 ¥479

62.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$72.5 ¥490

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$273 ¥1,844

129.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$196 ¥1,322

127.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$589 ¥3,980

246.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$364 ¥2,458

310.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,976 ¥20.1K

17.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,024 ¥13.7K

27.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Yangshuo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $273 in Yangshuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Yangshuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $199 per month, with Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangshuo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,078 in Yangshuo 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: $626 in Phuket versus $273 in Yangshuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $334 in Yangshuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Yangshuo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yangshuo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yangshuo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.