Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaren and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaren and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Yaren versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,992 in Yaren versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,447 in Yaren versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Yaren costs roughly 58% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yaren 61% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 A$15.22

$4.66 ฿154

134.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.44 A$35.46

$32.22 ฿1,065

-21.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$4.98

$2.90 ฿95.8

23.10%

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

$1.09 A$1.53

$0.84 ฿27.89

29.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 A$1.48

$0.49 ฿16.16

116.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 A$9.91

$2.48 ฿82.0

186.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 A$6.90

$3.73 ฿123

32.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.33 A$4.64

$1.89 ฿62.3

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 A$2.45

$1.41 ฿46.54

24.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 A$4.98

$1.47 ฿48.72

142.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 A$4.95

$1.42 ฿46.92

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.50 A$4.88

$1.10 ฿36.25

218.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 A$25.38

$18.60 ฿615

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 A$2.03

$2.25 ฿74.2

-35.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 A$122

$23.49 ฿776

273.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.14 A$9.95

$3.10 ฿102

130.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.68 A$5.13

$1.08 ฿35.56

240.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.76 A$59.6

$3.87 ฿128

1004.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.47

$1.43 ฿47.16

23.78%

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

$35.8K A$49.9K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

28.76%

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

$10.6K A$14.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-60.56%

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

$105 ฿3,462

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

$7.35 A$10.25

$11.39 ฿376

-35.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.88 A$40.26

$17.54 ฿580

64.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$0.01 A$0.01

$54.3 ฿1,795

-99.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.39 A$20.06

$11.44 ฿378

25.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.21 A$10.05

$7.78 ฿257

-7.33%

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

$362 A$505

$576 ฿19.0K

-37.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K A$15.0K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-7.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.50 A$20.21

$63.6 ฿2,103

-77.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.56 A$14.72

$29.10 ฿961

-63.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.95 A$50.1

$96.2 ฿3,179

-62.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 A$102

$90.0 ฿2,974

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,879 A$4,014

$733 ฿24.2K

292.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,158 A$7,191

$2,126 ฿70.2K

142.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,371 A$6,094

$1,252 ฿41.4K

249.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Yaren: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,879 in Yaren and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Yaren vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $119 vs $275 per month, with Yaren 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

Yaren vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaren is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $805 in Yaren and $1,898 in Phuket 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: $2,879 in Yaren versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Yaren versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $537 in Yaren versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaren but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yaren the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yaren 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, Yaren 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 Yaren gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.