Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yens Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yens

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,511 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $5,311 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $7,111 in Yens.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 64% less than in Yens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Yens is 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$30.64 CHF 24.24

-84.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$145 CHF 115

-68.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$18.91 CHF 14.96

-55.42%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$6.15 CHF 4.87

-52.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$5.34 CHF 4.23

-87.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$4.87 CHF 3.85

-92.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$9.92 CHF 7.85

-75.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.43 CHF 5.88

-49.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.17 CHF 1.71

2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$3.84 CHF 3.04

-52.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$4.52 CHF 3.57

-51.99%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$7.10 CHF 5.62

-68.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$26.46 CHF 20.94

-25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$28.53 CHF 22.57

-87.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$43.82 CHF 34.67

-69.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.64 CHF 2.88

-9.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.11 CHF 1.67

-23.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.81 CHF 2.22

-14.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$6.57 CHF 5.20

-68.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.44 CHF 1.93

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.33 CHF 1.84

-36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$2.49 CHF 1.97

-60.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.46 CHF 1.15

-65.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$10.93 CHF 8.65

-59.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$13.76 CHF 10.89

40.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.02 CHF 1.60

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.12 CHF 2.47

-13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$3.95 CHF 3.12

-65.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$98.7 CHF 78.1

-88.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$8.10 CHF 6.41

-62.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.37 CHF 2.66

-70.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$66.2 CHF 52.4

-78.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-37.90%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$40.0K CHF 31.7K

-29.55%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.6K CHF 32.9K

-20.94%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$304 CHF 240

-59.95%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$51.1 CHF 40.45

-73.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$57.7 CHF 45.65

-68.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$89.6 CHF 70.9

-32.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$23.13 CHF 18.29

-62.43%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$2,554 CHF 2,020

-72.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$33.7K CHF 26.7K

-53.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$107 CHF 85.0

-44.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$70.9 CHF 56.1

-50.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$151 CHF 120

-24.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$184 CHF 146

-54.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,711 CHF 1,353

-64.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,451 CHF 1,148

-69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$2,872 CHF 2,272

-27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$2,427 CHF 1,920

-37.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

-76.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$10.6K CHF 8,359

-75.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.5

113.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,711 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $145 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $618 per month, with Phuket 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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 177% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $5,266 in Yens 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,711 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $2,554 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,511 in Yens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yens. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yens, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yens 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.