Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yens and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,511 in Yens versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,311 in Yens versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,111 in Yens versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Yens is roughly 177% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yens is 162% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.64 CHF 24.16

$4.70 ฿153

551.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$145 CHF 114

$45.37 ฿1,482

219.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 14.91

$8.43 ฿275

124.32%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.85

$2.93 ฿95.6

109.90%

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

$5.34 CHF 4.21

$0.69 ฿22.40

673.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 3.84

$0.37 ฿11.99

1216.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 CHF 7.82

$2.41 ฿78.6

311.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 CHF 5.86

$3.72 ฿122

99.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.71

$2.23 ฿72.9

-2.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 CHF 3.03

$1.83 ฿59.8

109.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 CHF 3.56

$2.17 ฿70.8

108.29%

Eggs

$7.10 CHF 5.60

$2.21 ฿72.3

221.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.46 CHF 20.86

$19.74 ฿645

34.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.53 CHF 22.50

$3.63 ฿119

685.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.82 CHF 34.55

$13.53 ฿442

223.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CHF 2.87

$3.28 ฿107

10.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CHF 1.66

$1.61 ฿52.6

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.22

$2.41 ฿78.6

16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 CHF 5.18

$2.08 ฿68.1

215.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 1.92

$1.53 ฿49.93

59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.83

$1.48 ฿48.36

57.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$0.99 ฿32.29

151.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CHF 1.15

$0.51 ฿16.67

186.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.62

$4.41 ฿144

147.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.76 CHF 10.85

$19.38 ฿633

-29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CHF 1.59

$1.78 ฿58.1

13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CHF 2.46

$2.71 ฿88.6

15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.11

$1.37 ฿44.79

188.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.7 CHF 77.8

$11.39 ฿372

766.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 CHF 6.38

$3.02 ฿98.6

168.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.37 CHF 2.65

$0.99 ฿32.48

240.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.2 CHF 52.2

$14.10 ฿461

369.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.36 ฿44.51

61.03%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

41.94%

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

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

26.48%

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

$304 CHF 240

$122 ฿3,975

149.67%

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

$51.1 CHF 40.31

$13.57 ฿443

276.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CHF 45.49

$18.31 ฿598

215.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 70.7

$60.2 ฿1,967

48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$23.13 CHF 18.23

$8.69 ฿284

166.17%

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

$2,554 CHF 2,014

$693 ฿22.6K

268.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K CHF 26.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

115.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 84.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

80.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 CHF 55.9

$34.77 ฿1,136

103.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 119

$115 ฿3,743

32.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 CHF 145

$83.3 ฿2,720

120.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 CHF 1,349

$613 ฿20.0K

178.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,144

$437 ฿14.3K

231.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 CHF 2,264

$2,094 ฿68.4K

37.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 CHF 1,913

$1,509 ฿49.3K

60.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

318.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CHF 8,331

$2,616 ฿85.4K

303.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

5.33

-53.10%

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

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,711 in Yens and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $145 in Yens vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $618 vs $293 per month, with Phuket 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

Yens vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 177% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,266 in Yens 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: $1,711 in Yens versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,554 in Yens versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,511 in Yens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Yens. 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 Yens, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Yens 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 177% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.