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: $3,470 in Yens versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,210 in Yens versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,951 in Yens versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Yens is roughly 182% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yens is 154% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.97 CHF 23.81

$4.41 ฿147

556.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 100

$32.26 ฿1,074

278.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.03 CHF 13.17

$8.93 ฿297

79.51%

Cappuccino

$6.10 CHF 5.01

$2.90 ฿96.4

110.34%

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

$5.04 CHF 4.14

$0.88 ฿29.30

472.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 CHF 3.38

$0.48 ฿16.01

756.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.18 CHF 7.55

$2.35 ฿78.3

290.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 CHF 6.71

$3.72 ฿124

119.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.87 ฿62.1

19.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CHF 2.52

$1.47 ฿48.81

108.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.62

$1.55 ฿51.7

105.16%

Eggs

$7.37 CHF 6.06

$2.10 ฿70.0

250.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.52 CHF 20.15

$19.59 ฿652

25.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.06 CHF 23.06

$3.42 ฿114

720.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.21 CHF 32.22

$11.38 ฿379

244.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$2.98 ฿99.3

20.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.68 ฿56.1

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.17

$2.21 ฿73.5

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 CHF 3.72

$2.16 ฿72.0

109.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.52 ฿50.8

11.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CHF 1.64

$1.34 ฿44.55

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.13 ฿37.57

81.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 CHF 1.08

$0.55 ฿18.19

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.27 CHF 9.27

$4.26 ฿142

164.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 CHF 10.21

$19.09 ฿635

-34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 CHF 1.93

$1.78 ฿59.2

32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CHF 2.50

$2.78 ฿92.6

9.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.42 CHF 3.64

$2.23 ฿74.2

98.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.3 CHF 81.6

$22.74 ฿757

336.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.86 CHF 6.46

$3.03 ฿101

159.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.82

$1.02 ฿34.06

355.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.8 CHF 71.3

$3.89 ฿130

2131.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 CHF 1.95

$1.49 ฿49.63

59.06%

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

$44.6K CHF 36.7K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

67.87%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.4K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

45.90%

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

$283 CHF 233

$102 ฿3,411

176.25%

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

$28.77 CHF 23.64

$11.33 ฿377

153.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CHF 42.23

$17.40 ฿579

195.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.7 CHF 76.2

$52.1 ฿1,734

78.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.86 CHF 37.68

$11.07 ฿369

314.27%

Cinema Ticket

$24.87 CHF 20.43

$7.69 ฿256

223.41%

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

$2,953 CHF 2,427

$561 ฿18.7K

426.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K CHF 26.0K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

174.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 119

$63.0 ฿2,098

129.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.9 CHF 50.9

$29.52 ฿983

109.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 CHF 116

$98.0 ฿3,263

44.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 167

$88.5 ฿2,946

129.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 CHF 1,457

$738 ฿24.6K

140.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 CHF 1,215

$482 ฿16.1K

206.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,925 CHF 2,404

$2,107 ฿70.1K

38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CHF 2,093

$1,226 ฿40.8K

107.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.6K CHF 13.7K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

360.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

369.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.95

5.57

-64.99%

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

Last update for Yens: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,773 in Yens and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Yens vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $566 vs $274 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 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,205 in Yens and $1,847 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: $1,773 in Yens versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,953 in Yens versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 107% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,470 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 182% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.