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: $2,746 in Yaren versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,389 in Yaren versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,031 in Yaren versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Yaren is roughly 118% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yaren is 104% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 A$10.05

$4.56 ฿149

55.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.96 A$39.51

$46.63 ฿1,519

-40.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

Cappuccino

$3.17 A$4.48

$3.03 ฿98.6

4.62%

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

$1.01 A$1.43

$0.69 ฿22.45

46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 A$1.19

$0.37 ฿11.92

127.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 A$8.93

$2.49 ฿81.0

153.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.59

$3.66 ฿119

27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 A$4.05

$2.18 ฿71.0

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 A$2.56

$1.90 ฿62.0

-4.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.19 A$18.64

$3.66 ฿119

260.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 A$13.75

$13.25 ฿432

-26.57%

Apples (1kg)

$13.21 A$18.66

$3.23 ฿105

308.98%

Banana (1kg)

$19.71 A$27.84

$1.70 ฿55.3

1059.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$13.25 A$18.72

$2.39 ฿78.0

454.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$1.59 ฿51.8

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.65

$1.48 ฿48.31

122.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.30 A$4.66

$1.03 ฿33.54

220.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.25

$0.52 ฿16.83

205.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 A$16.59

$4.25 ฿138

176.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.92 A$25.33

$18.79 ฿612

-4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 A$1.81

$1.36 ฿44.32

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 A$112

$11.36 ฿370

600.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 A$8.93

$3.14 ฿102

101.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 A$4.45

$1.04 ฿33.74

202.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.69 A$54.7

$13.77 ฿448

180.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.20

$1.34 ฿43.79

16.42%

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

$32.8K A$46.3K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

18.50%

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

$9,777 A$13.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-71.13%

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

$257 A$364

$124 ฿4,025

108.22%

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

$6.37 A$9.00

$13.52 ฿440

-52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.51 A$37.45

$18.69 ฿609

41.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$0.01 A$0.01

$61.8 ฿2,013

-99.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.86 A$18.17

$17.25 ฿562

-25.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 A$9.42

$9.14 ฿298

-27.02%

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

$328 A$463

$703 ฿22.9K

-53.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,905 A$14.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-37.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.23 A$18.70

$59.5 ฿1,937

-77.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.80 A$13.85

$35.07 ฿1,142

-72.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.73 A$46.24

$115 ฿3,754

-71.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 A$90.5

$84.1 ฿2,737

-23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 A$3,249

$619 ฿20.1K

271.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 A$2,262

$433 ฿14.1K

270.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,621 A$6,530

$2,062 ฿67.2K

124.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 A$5,453

$1,511 ฿49.2K

155.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Yaren: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,299 in Yaren and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Yaren vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $463 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,119 in Yaren and $1,892 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: $2,299 in Yaren versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $328 in Yaren versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Yaren. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,746 in Yaren, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yaren. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yaren, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Yaren. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.