Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yiwu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yiwu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $718 in Yiwu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Yiwu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,969 in Yiwu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than Yiwu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.72 ¥18.39

72.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$36.17 ¥245

25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.48 ¥37.07

53.83%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.55 ¥24.06

-17.46%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.55 ¥3.71

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.30 ¥2.00

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.42 ¥9.58

69.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.74 ¥18.51

35.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.78 ¥12.03

25.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.79 ¥12.15

2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.85 ¥5.73

155.29%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.60 ¥10.85

38.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$15.31 ¥104

28.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.12 ¥21.15

16.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.57 ¥71.5

28.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.70 ¥11.54

92.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.43 ¥9.68

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.41 ¥9.52

70.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.13 ¥7.67

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.51 ¥3.44

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.82 ¥5.54

80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.15 ¥1.04

560.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.60 ¥4.03

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.77 ¥18.75

59.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$11.98 ¥81.1

61.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.40 ¥2.74

345.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.07 ¥7.23

153.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.40 ¥2.73

242.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.96 ¥115

-32.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.13 ¥7.65

167.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.23 ¥1.56

330.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.30 ¥56.2

69.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.15 ¥7.75

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$19.6K ¥132.7K

43.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.7K ¥120.1K

85.49%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$51.7 ¥350

135.26%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.78 ¥59.4

54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$13.47 ¥91.2

35.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$14.17 ¥95.9

324.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$10.60 ¥71.8

61.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.49 ¥43.92

33.90%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$339 ¥2,293

104.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$31.7K ¥214.7K

-50.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$55.0 ¥372

8.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$34.40 ¥233

1.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$76.3 ¥516

50.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$70.4 ¥476

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$424 ¥2,868

44.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$185 ¥1,253

136.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$990 ¥6,698

111.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$688 ¥4,656

119.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$3,197 ¥21.6K

17.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,894 ¥19.6K

-9.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$591 ¥4,002

-14.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.58

48.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $424 in Yiwu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yiwu pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Yiwu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Yiwu 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 Yiwu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yiwu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Yiwu earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $424 in Yiwu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $339 in Yiwu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Yiwu versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yiwu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yiwu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yiwu 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 Yiwu 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 Yiwu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.