Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangon (Rangoon) and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangon (Rangoon): $768 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Yangon (Rangoon)
🇲🇲 Myanmar
$768
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yangon (Rangoon) and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $768 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Yangon (Rangoon) $768
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,291 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Yangon (Rangoon) $1,291
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Yangon (Rangoon) $1,814
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Yangon (Rangoon) costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yangon (Rangoon) 43% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.53 MMK 5,292
$4.58 ฿153
-44.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.55 MMK 34.6K
$32.48 ฿1,086
-49.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.92 MMK 6,119
$8.55 ฿286
-65.85%
Cappuccino
$1.67 MMK 3,495
$2.72 ฿91.0
-38.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 MMK 1,472
$0.94 ฿31.25
-25.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 MMK 1,284
$0.49 ฿16.39
24.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 MMK 2,137
$2.59 ฿86.6
-60.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 MMK 4,307
$3.83 ฿128
-46.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 MMK 3,513
$1.74 ฿58.1
-3.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 MMK 2,377
$1.43 ฿47.82
-20.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.16 MMK 4,525
$1.53 ฿51.0
41.18%
Eggs
$1.83 MMK 3,828
$2.17 ฿72.7
-15.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.30 MMK 13.2K
$19.15 ฿640
-67.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.69 MMK 9,813
$3.30 ฿110
42.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.04 MMK 12.6K
$11.14 ฿372
-45.78%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 MMK 9,637
$2.95 ฿98.5
55.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 MMK 2,368
$1.68 ฿56.1
-32.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.01 MMK 8,388
$2.30 ฿76.8
74.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 MMK 6,420
$2.13 ฿71.3
44.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 MMK 5,389
$1.53 ฿51.1
67.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 MMK 3,459
$1.36 ฿45.55
21.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 MMK 2,553
$1.12 ฿37.44
8.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 MMK 987
$0.55 ฿18.24
-14.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.59 MMK 3,337
$4.26 ฿142
-62.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.98 MMK 18.8K
$18.19 ฿608
-50.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 MMK 1,855
$1.74 ฿58.2
-48.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MMK 2,526
$2.79 ฿93.3
-56.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 MMK 544
$2.22 ฿74.1
-88.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.85 MMK 24.8K
$22.06 ฿737
-46.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.03 MMK 2,151
$2.91 ฿97.3
-64.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.98 MMK 2,050
$1.01 ฿33.79
-2.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 MMK 5,863
$3.83 ฿128
-26.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$9.33 MMK 19.5K
$1.49 ฿49.85
526.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K MMK 62.1M
$26.7K ฿891.6K
11.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.8K MMK 98.0M
$26.7K ฿892.7K
75.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.2 MMK 105.2K
$99.4 ฿3,321
-49.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.49 MMK 15.7K
$11.28 ฿377
-33.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.63 MMK 39.0K
$17.36 ฿580
7.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.34 MMK 40.5K
$52.3 ฿1,747
-63.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.03 MMK 23.1K
$10.85 ฿362
1.66%
Cinema Ticket
$2.54 MMK 5,311
$7.57 ฿253
-66.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$504 MMK 1.1M
$558 ฿18.7K
-9.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K MMK 35.8M
$11.5K ฿383.9K
48.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.9 MMK 190.4K
$62.9 ฿2,102
44.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.5 MMK 137.1K
$28.58 ฿955
129.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 MMK 215.1K
$96.1 ฿3,213
6.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 MMK 266.9K
$88.1 ฿2,943
44.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$369 MMK 771.7K
$729 ฿24.4K
-49.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$199 MMK 416.2K
$460 ฿15.4K
-56.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 MMK 2.2M
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-50.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$546 MMK 1.1M
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-55.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,173 MMK 4.6M
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-37.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$927 MMK 1.9M
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-62.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yangon (Rangoon)
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$274 MMK 572.7K
$493 ฿16.5K
-44.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12
5.57
115.44%

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

Last update for Yangon (Rangoon): October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Yangon (Rangoon)
$212
Phuket
$268 26.2% $55
Accommodation & Living
Yangon (Rangoon)
$199
Phuket
$460 131% $261
Clothing & Footwear
Yangon (Rangoon)
$174
Phuket
$124 28.7% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yangon (Rangoon)
$76
Phuket
$128 67.7% $52
Eating Out
Yangon (Rangoon)
$64
Phuket
$121 91.1% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Yangon (Rangoon)
$24
Phuket
$67 176% $43
Getting Around
Yangon (Rangoon)
$19
Phuket
$39 107% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Yangon (Rangoon) and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 80% 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: $17.00 in Yangon (Rangoon) vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $268 per month, with Yangon (Rangoon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇲 Yangon (Rangoon)
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
09:49 9:49 AM
10:19 10:19 AM
30 min ahead of Yangon (Rangoon)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,160,512
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yangon (Rangoon) Phuket 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Yangon (Rangoon)
  • Phuket

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
Yangon (Rangoon) vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Yangon (Rangoon)?
Yangon (Rangoon) is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Yangon (Rangoon) or Phuket?
On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Yangon (Rangoon) and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $369 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $504 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Yangon (Rangoon) and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Yangon (Rangoon) or in Phuket?
At $768 in Yangon (Rangoon) versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yangon (Rangoon) but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yangon (Rangoon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Yangon (Rangoon) or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Yangon (Rangoon) 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.
Which city is safer, Yangon (Rangoon) or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Yangon (Rangoon) and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Yangon (Rangoon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Yangon (Rangoon) vs other spots: cost of living compared

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