Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yulin and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Yulin: $699 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Yulin
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Yulin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Yulin

🇨🇳 China

$699

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yulin and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Yulin and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $699 in Yulin versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Yulin $699
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,123 in Yulin versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Yulin $1,123
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,548 in Yulin versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Yulin $1,548
Phuket $3,154

Living in Yulin costs roughly 45% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yulin 49% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 ¥15.10

$4.47 ฿151

-49.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ¥108

$32.41 ฿1,094

-50.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥32.60

$8.81 ฿297

-44.38%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ¥14.27

$2.83 ฿95.5

-24.38%

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

$0.40 ¥2.67

$0.87 ฿29.43

-54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.58

$0.49 ฿16.67

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 ¥11.30

$2.56 ฿86.4

-33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.81

$3.68 ฿124

-39.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.24

$1.66 ฿56.0

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.95

$1.46 ฿49.35

12.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.55

$1.50 ฿50.6

-34.67%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.22

$2.09 ฿70.5

-19.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 ¥80.9

$19.07 ฿644

-36.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ¥23.94

$3.30 ฿111

9.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 ¥77.3

$10.91 ฿368

6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.49

$2.93 ฿99.0

-40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ¥8.82

$1.69 ฿57.1

-21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.91

$2.25 ฿75.8

-33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$2.08 ฿70.1

-40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.07

$1.51 ฿51.0

-49.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.61

$1.38 ฿46.56

-28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.53

$1.07 ฿35.99

-36.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.52 ฿17.52

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ¥23.03

$4.20 ฿142

-17.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 ¥68.8

$18.79 ฿634

-44.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.37

$1.82 ฿61.5

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ¥9.44

$2.84 ฿95.9

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.05

$1.45 ฿49.03

-78.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.78 ¥132

$56.7 ฿1,913

-65.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 ¥9.57

$3.02 ฿102

-52.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.48

$1.02 ฿34.36

-63.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 ¥52.9

$3.69 ฿125

115.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ¥9.35

$1.47 ฿49.81

-4.08%

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

$17.2K ¥114.4K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-35.79%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-33.13%

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

$57.2 ¥380

$96.4 ฿3,254

-40.69%

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

$8.96 ¥59.6

$11.26 ฿380

-20.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.40 ¥75.9

$16.85 ฿569

-32.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.11 ¥274

$67.2 ฿2,270

-38.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 ¥112

$10.73 ฿362

57.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ¥43.21

$7.50 ฿253

-13.47%

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

$421 ¥2,803

$476 ฿16.1K

-11.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ¥107.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

43.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.04 ¥286

$62.4 ฿2,106

-30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 ¥216

$28.41 ฿959

14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 ¥497

$94.3 ฿3,184

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ¥500

$85.8 ฿2,898

-12.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,186

$716 ฿24.2K

-54.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 ¥1,081

$491 ฿16.6K

-66.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ¥4,079

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,415

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-74.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,146 ¥20.9K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-24.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,915 ¥12.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-37.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ¥3,939

$502 ฿17.0K

17.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.57

-39.68%

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

Last update for Yulin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Yulin

$205 29.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 30% $61

Accommodation & Living

Yulin

$162 23.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 202% $328

Clothing & Footwear

Yulin

$101 14.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 20.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yulin

$78 11.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 60.6% $47

Eating Out

Yulin

$74 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 64.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Yulin

$54 7.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 52% $28

Getting Around

Yulin

$24 3.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 190% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Yulin and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yulin pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16 in Yulin vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $266 per month, with Yulin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yulin

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h behind Yulin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,700,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yulin Phuket 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Yulin
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Yulin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yulin is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Yulin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $329 in Yulin versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $421 in Yulin versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $699 in Yulin versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Yulin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yulin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Yulin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.