Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baoji and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoji: $710 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Baoji
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Baoji Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Baoji

🇨🇳 China

$710

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baoji 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 Baoji and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $710 in Baoji versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Baoji $710
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,140 in Baoji versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Baoji $1,140
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,571 in Baoji versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Baoji $1,571
Phuket $3,154

Living in Baoji costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baoji 48% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.72 ¥18.07

$4.47 ฿151

-39.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.77 ¥78.3

$32.41 ฿1,092

-63.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 ¥29.44

$8.81 ฿297

-49.83%

Cappuccino

$2.09 ¥13.89

$2.83 ฿95.3

-26.15%

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

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.87 ฿29.37

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.95

$0.49 ฿16.64

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.71

$2.56 ฿86.2

-42.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.84

$3.68 ฿124

-59.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ¥9.50

$1.66 ฿55.9

-13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥11.58

$1.46 ฿49.25

19.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.57

$1.50 ฿50.4

-44.00%

Eggs

$0.87 ¥5.76

$2.09 ฿70.4

-58.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 ¥77.0

$19.07 ฿642

-39.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 ¥26.69

$3.30 ฿111

21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 ¥70.9

$10.91 ฿368

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ¥10.86

$2.93 ฿98.7

-44.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ¥7.45

$1.69 ฿56.9

-33.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.23

$2.25 ฿75.7

-44.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.89

$2.08 ฿70.0

-35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.38

$1.51 ฿50.9

-56.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$1.38 ฿46.47

-47.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.07 ฿35.91

-42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.52 ฿17.49

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ¥22.33

$4.20 ฿142

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ¥63.2

$18.79 ฿633

-49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.35

$1.82 ฿61.4

-56.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.24

$2.84 ฿95.7

-40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$1.45 ฿48.93

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.72 ¥111

$56.7 ฿1,909

-70.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ¥8.59

$3.02 ฿102

-57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.90

$1.02 ฿34.29

-71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 ¥29.78

$3.69 ฿124

21.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.60

$1.47 ฿49.70

-12.24%

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

$19.7K ¥131.0K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-26.50%

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

$18.1K ¥120.3K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-32.25%

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

$90.5 ¥602

$96.4 ฿3,247

-6.09%

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

$6.32 ¥42.09

$11.26 ฿380

-43.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.91 ¥72.6

$16.85 ฿568

-35.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.00 ¥260

$67.2 ฿2,266

-41.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ¥109

$10.73 ฿361

52.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ¥38.45

$7.50 ฿253

-22.93%

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

$684 ¥4,549

$476 ฿16.0K

43.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥118.2K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

57.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.84 ¥258

$62.4 ฿2,102

-37.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.99 ¥253

$28.41 ฿957

33.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ¥493

$94.3 ฿3,178

-21.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ¥601

$85.8 ฿2,892

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 ¥1,887

$716 ฿24.1K

-60.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 ¥1,059

$491 ฿16.5K

-67.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ¥3,937

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-69.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ¥2,769

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-70.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,853 ¥19.0K

$4,175 ฿140.7K

-31.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,714 ¥11.4K

$3,045 ฿102.6K

-43.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

5.57

-39.86%

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

Last update for Baoji: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Baoji

$191 26.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 39.4% $75

Accommodation & Living

Baoji

$159 22.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 209% $332

Clothing & Footwear

Baoji

$109 15.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 12.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baoji

$108 15.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 15.5% $17

Eating Out

Baoji

$73 10.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 67.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Baoji

$51 7.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 62.6% $32

Getting Around

Baoji

$21 2.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 243% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $284 in Baoji and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12 in Baoji vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $266 per month, with Baoji cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Baoji

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

10:08 10:08 AM

1 h behind Baoji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,438,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baoji Phuket 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Baoji
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

Baoji vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,065 in Baoji and $1,917 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: $284 in Baoji versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 70% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $684 in Baoji versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $710 in Baoji versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baoji 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 Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.