Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yaren

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaren: $516 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Yaren

🇳🇷 Nauru

$516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yaren

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 Yaren actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $516 in Yaren.

Phuket $1,278
Yaren $516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,972 in Yaren.

Phuket $2,216
Yaren $2,972

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,428 in Yaren.

Phuket $3,154
Yaren $5,428

Living in Phuket is roughly 148% more expensive than in Yaren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yaren 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.54 A$14.97

-57.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$24.71 A$35.11

31.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.43 A$4.87

-17.49%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.02 A$1.45

-14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.06 A$1.51

-53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.90 A$9.80

-62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.76 A$6.77

-22.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$3.11 A$4.43

-46.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.73 A$2.46

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.53 A$5.02

-57.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$3.49 A$4.96

-60.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$3.41 A$4.84

-68.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$17.66 A$25.09

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.41 A$2.00

2.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$86.1 A$122

-34.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.90 A$9.80

-56.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$3.45 A$4.90

-70.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$41.57 A$59.1

-91.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.76 A$2.50

-16.48%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$35.0K A$49.7K

-23.51%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$10.5K A$15.0K

153.15%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.00 A$9.94

60.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$28.46 A$40.43

-40.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$0.01 A$0.02

672200.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.20 A$20.17

-24.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.18 A$10.21

4.46%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$350 A$498

35.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.6K A$15.1K

6.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$13.76 A$19.56

353.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$10.58 A$15.04

168.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$34.90 A$49.59

170.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$69.4 A$98.6

23.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,795 A$3,972

-74.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$5,100 A$7,247

-62.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$4,255 A$6,046

-66.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yaren: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Yaren

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Yaren

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Yaren

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yaren

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yaren

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Yaren

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Yaren

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,795 in Yaren. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $25 in Yaren for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $115 per month, with Yaren cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇷 Yaren

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

10:26 10:26 AM

5 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Yaren 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Yaren

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 Yaren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaren is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $774 in Yaren 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: $716 in Phuket versus $2,795 in Yaren. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $350 in Yaren. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $516 in Yaren versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Yaren but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yaren the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yaren are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.