Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaounde and Phuket

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.

38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yaounde 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 Yaounde and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Yaounde $782
Phuket $1,207

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

Yaounde $1,206
Phuket $2,037

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

Yaounde $1,629
Phuket $2,867

Living in Yaounde costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

$4.58 ฿153

-23.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

$32.48 ฿1,086

56.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

$8.55 ฿286

-41.87%

Cappuccino

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

$2.72 ฿91.0

-31.25%

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

$1.46 FCFA 854

$0.94 ฿31.25

55.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 FCFA 324

$0.49 ฿16.39

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 FCFA 698

$2.59 ฿86.6

-53.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 FCFA 980

$3.83 ฿128

-56.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

$1.74 ฿58.1

108.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 FCFA 602

$1.43 ฿47.82

-27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 FCFA 743

$1.53 ฿51.0

-16.99%

Eggs

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

$2.17 ฿72.7

-6.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

$19.15 ฿640

-27.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

$3.30 ฿110

82.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

$11.14 ฿372

-42.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

$2.95 ฿98.5

68.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

$1.68 ฿56.1

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

$2.30 ฿76.8

-13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 FCFA 786

$2.13 ฿71.3

-36.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 FCFA 952

$1.53 ฿51.1

6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 FCFA 813

$1.36 ฿45.55

2.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 654

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 FCFA 381

$0.55 ฿18.24

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 FCFA 982

$4.26 ฿142

-60.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

$18.19 ฿608

-54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 FCFA 772

$1.74 ฿58.2

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

$2.79 ฿93.3

-30.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 FCFA 305

$2.22 ฿74.1

-76.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

$22.06 ฿737

-22.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 FCFA 363

$2.91 ฿97.3

-78.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FCFA 261

$1.01 ฿33.79

-55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

$3.83 ฿128

53.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FCFA 848

$1.49 ฿49.85

-2.01%

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

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

22.07%

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

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-20.64%

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

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-19.37%

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

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

$11.28 ฿377

52.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

$17.36 ฿580

195.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-54.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

$10.85 ฿362

-36.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

$7.57 ฿253

9.91%

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

$615 FCFA 358.4K

$558 ฿18.7K

10.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-79.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

$62.9 ฿2,102

-73.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

$28.58 ฿955

-4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-73.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-36.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 FCFA 83.0K

$729 ฿24.4K

-80.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 FCFA 106.7K

$460 ฿15.4K

-60.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 FCFA 238.1K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-80.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 FCFA 121.2K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-83.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$855 FCFA 498.8K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-75.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$589 FCFA 343.7K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-76.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 FCFA 107.8K

$493 ฿16.5K

-62.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Yaounde: 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

Yaounde

$249 31.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 7.5% $19

Accommodation & Living

Yaounde

$183 23.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 151% $277

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaounde

$149 19%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 13.8% $21

Eating Out

Yaounde

$83 10.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 46.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Yaounde

$56 7.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 120% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Yaounde

$40 5.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 66.5% $27

Getting Around

Yaounde

$22 2.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 75.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Yaounde and $729 in Phuket. 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: $51.0 in Yaounde vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $268, with Yaounde cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

6 h ahead of Yaounde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,817,524 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 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).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Yaounde Phuket 9,600 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Yaounde
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

Yaounde vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 167% 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.

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

Childcare runs $615 in Yaounde versus $558 in Phuket. 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, Yaounde 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.

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.