Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yaounde

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $782 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yaounde

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Yaounde actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $782 in Yaounde.

Phuket $1,207
Yaounde $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,206 in Yaounde.

Phuket $2,037
Yaounde $1,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,629 in Yaounde.

Phuket $2,867
Yaounde $1,629

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than in Yaounde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Yaounde 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

30.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

-35.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

72.03%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

45.45%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.46 FCFA 854

-35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.56 FCFA 324

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.20 FCFA 698

115.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.68 FCFA 980

127.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

-51.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.03 FCFA 602

38.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.27 FCFA 743

20.47%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

7.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

38.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

-45.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

73.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

-40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

-13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.35 FCFA 786

57.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.63 FCFA 952

-6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.39 FCFA 813

-2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.12 FCFA 654

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.65 FCFA 381

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.68 FCFA 982

153.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

120.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.32 FCFA 772

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

43.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.52 FCFA 305

326.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

28.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.62 FCFA 363

369.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.45 FCFA 261

124.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

-34.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.46 FCFA 848

2.05%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

-18.08%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

26.01%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

24.03%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

-34.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

-66.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

119.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

56.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

-9.01%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$615 FCFA 358.4K

-9.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

392.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

275.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

4.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

281.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

57.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$142 FCFA 83.0K

412.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$183 FCFA 106.7K

151.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$408 FCFA 238.1K

413.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$208 FCFA 121.2K

488.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$855 FCFA 498.8K

304.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$589 FCFA 343.7K

322.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$185 FCFA 107.8K

166.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-57.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Yaounde

$183 23.4% 60.2% $277

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Yaounde

$249 31.8% 7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Yaounde

$149 19% 16% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Yaounde

$56 7.2% 54.6% $68

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Yaounde

$83 10.6% 31.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Yaounde

$40 5.2% 39.9% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Yaounde

$22 2.8% 43% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $142 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 167% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Yaounde. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $249, with Yaounde cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

02:18 2:18 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,817,524 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Yaounde 9,600 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Yaounde

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaounde is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 167% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $142 in Yaounde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $615 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $782 in Yaounde versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yaounde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yaounde 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 Yaounde 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 Yaounde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.