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: $3,459 in Yens versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,362 in Yens versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,264 in Yens versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Yens is 159% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 24.51

$4.55 ฿153

566.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$46.18 ฿1,554

218.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.91 CHF 15.29

$8.84 ฿298

113.91%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.77

$3.06 ฿103

92.81%

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

$5.46 CHF 4.41

$0.73 ฿24.42

647.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 CHF 3.80

$0.40 ฿13.40

1077.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CHF 7.80

$2.43 ฿81.8

297.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 CHF 6.05

$3.78 ฿127

98.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.26 ฿76.0

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 CHF 3.06

$1.81 ฿60.9

109.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.60

$2.25 ฿75.8

97.78%

Eggs

$7.42 CHF 6.00

$2.25 ฿75.6

229.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 21.24

$19.51 ฿656

34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.80 CHF 23.29

$3.65 ฿123

689.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.50 CHF 35.98

$13.05 ฿439

241.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CHF 2.93

$3.23 ฿109

12.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.68

$1.62 ฿54.4

28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.30

$2.38 ฿80.2

19.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 CHF 5.34

$2.03 ฿68.2

225.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CHF 2.02

$1.53 ฿51.6

63.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 CHF 1.91

$1.50 ฿50.5

57.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.03

$0.98 ฿32.93

156.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CHF 1.14

$0.52 ฿17.40

171.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 8.95

$4.44 ฿149

149.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CHF 11.11

$18.32 ฿616

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CHF 1.68

$1.86 ฿62.7

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.50

$2.68 ฿90.2

15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 CHF 3.20

$1.41 ฿47.49

180.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 80.0

$11.70 ฿394

745.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.73 CHF 6.25

$3.11 ฿105

148.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.41 CHF 2.76

$1.04 ฿35.08

227.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$67.2 CHF 54.4

$14.11 ฿475

376.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.79

$1.31 ฿44.13

68.70%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.6K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

44.90%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

22.41%

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

$301 CHF 244

$122 ฿4,120

146.00%

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

$51.1 CHF 41.31

$13.59 ฿457

276.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 46.47

$18.70 ฿629

207.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 71.9

$60.5 ฿2,035

46.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$22.64 CHF 18.30

$9.07 ฿305

149.61%

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

$2,534 CHF 2,049

$706 ฿23.8K

258.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K CHF 27.0K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

111.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 86.3

$58.6 ฿1,970

82.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 CHF 55.5

$35.36 ฿1,190

94.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 121

$115 ฿3,885

29.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 148

$83.7 ฿2,818

118.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 CHF 1,370

$626 ฿21.1K

170.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CHF 1,170

$445 ฿15.0K

225.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,801 CHF 2,265

$2,040 ฿68.7K

37.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,436 CHF 1,970

$1,492 ฿50.2K

63.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

390.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,726

$2,577 ฿86.7K

318.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Yens and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Yens vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $622 vs $289 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 $5,189 in Yens and $1,875 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: $1,694 in Yens versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,534 in Yens versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Yens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,459 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.