Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yap and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,894 in Yap, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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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Yap

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,894

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,894 in Yap versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Yap $1,894
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Yap versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Yap $2,471
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,049 in Yap versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Yap $3,049
Phuket $3,154

Living in Yap is roughly 48% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yap is 39% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.87 $29.87

$4.47 ฿151

568.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$32.41 ฿1,093

82.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$4.42 $4.42

$2.83 ฿95.4

56.18%

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

$1.74 $1.74

$0.87 ฿29.41

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$1.46 ฿49.31

300.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.50 ฿50.5

186.67%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$19.07 ฿643

-72.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$10.91 ฿368

-44.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.93 ฿98.9

54.61%

Banana (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.69 ฿57.0

160.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.25 ฿75.8

91.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.08 ฿70.0

117.79%

Potato (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.51 ฿51.0

251.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.38 ฿46.52

20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.52 ฿17.51

180.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.82 ฿61.5

112.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.84 ฿95.8

7.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.45 ฿48.98

-32.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.62 $21.62

$56.7 ฿1,912

-61.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.02 ฿102

145.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.69 ฿125

37.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.47 ฿49.76

1.36%

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

$4,019 $4,019

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-84.99%

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

$3,997 $3,997

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-85.03%

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

$80.5 $80.5

$96.4 ฿3,251

-16.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$16.85 ฿568

383.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.18 $24.18

$62.4 ฿2,104

-61.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.6 $75.6

$28.41 ฿958

166.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$94.3 ฿3,181

-14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$85.8 ฿2,895

40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 $991

$716 ฿24.2K

38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 $1,004

$491 ฿16.6K

104.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-31.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,471 $1,471

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-64.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 $1,006

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-66.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 $262

$502 ฿16.9K

-47.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

400000

5.57

7181228.55%

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

Last update for Yap: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yap

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Yap

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yap

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Yap

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Yap

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Yap

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Yap

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $991 in Yap and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59 in Yap vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $261 vs $266, with Yap cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Yap

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

02:52 2:52 AM

3 h behind Yap

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,577

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Yap Phuket 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Yap
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

Yap vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Yap. 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: $991 in Yap versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yap runs roughly 62% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $59 in Yap. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,894 in Yap, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yap. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Yap and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.