Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benxi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Benxi, China
Phuket, Thailand
Benxi
🇨🇳 China
$692
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Benxi vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Benxi $692
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $991 per month in Benxi vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Benxi $991
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,291 per month in Benxi vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Benxi $1,291
  • Phuket $3,154

Benxi is about 46% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Benxi and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Benxi 49% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04 ¥20.19
$4.47 ฿151
-31.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.33 ¥148
$32.41 ฿1,094
-31.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.31 ¥35.25
$8.81 ฿297
-39.73%
Cappuccino
$2.40 ¥15.98
$2.83 ฿95.4
-15.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ¥3.39
$0.87 ฿29.42
-41.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.89
$0.49 ฿16.66
-40.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.73 ¥4.84
$2.56 ฿86.3
-71.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 ¥11.69
$3.68 ฿124
-52.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 ¥12.28
$1.66 ฿56.0
11.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 ¥8.08
$1.46 ฿49.32
-16.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.84 ¥5.60
$1.50 ฿50.5
-44.00%
Eggs
$1.60 ¥10.65
$2.09 ฿70.5
-23.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.00 ¥66.4
$19.07 ฿643
-47.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.85 ¥18.92
$3.30 ฿111
-13.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.92 ¥59.3
$10.91 ฿368
-18.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.62 ¥10.74
$2.93 ฿98.9
-44.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 ¥9.17
$1.69 ฿57.0
-18.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 ¥10.76
$2.25 ฿75.8
-28.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 ¥9.12
$2.08 ฿70.1
-34.13%
Potato (1kg)
$0.58 ¥3.88
$1.51 ฿51.0
-61.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 ¥12.26
$1.38 ฿46.54
34.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.61 ¥4.09
$1.07 ฿35.97
-42.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ¥4.57
$0.52 ฿17.51
32.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 ¥19.75
$4.20 ฿142
-29.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.24 ¥54.7
$18.79 ฿634
-56.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 ¥3.85
$1.82 ฿61.5
-68.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 ¥8.30
$2.84 ฿95.9
-55.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ¥2.09
$1.45 ฿49.00
-78.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.21 ¥81.1
$56.7 ฿1,912
-78.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.88 ¥5.84
$3.02 ฿102
-70.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 ¥1.91
$1.02 ฿34.34
-71.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.98 ¥19.82
$3.69 ฿125
-19.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 ¥7.53
$1.47 ฿49.78
-23.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.8K ¥131.7K
$26.8K ฿903.7K
-26.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.0K ¥119.4K
$26.7K ฿900.8K
-32.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$54.4 ¥361
$96.4 ฿3,252
-43.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.70 ¥44.51
$11.26 ฿380
-40.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.41 ¥69.2
$16.85 ฿569
-38.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.3 ¥441
$67.2 ฿2,269
-1.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.31 ¥55.2
$10.73 ฿362
-22.55%
Cinema Ticket
$6.03 ¥40.08
$7.50 ฿253
-19.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 ¥2,985
$476 ฿16.1K
-5.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,894 ¥59.1K
$11.3K ฿380.1K
-21.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.74 ¥198
$62.4 ฿2,105
-52.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.77 ¥218
$28.41 ฿959
15.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.2 ¥400
$94.3 ฿3,182
-36.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.4 ¥348
$85.8 ฿2,896
-38.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$137 ¥907
$716 ฿24.2K
-80.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$189 ¥1,259
$491 ฿16.6K
-61.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$258 ¥1,711
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-86.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$153 ¥1,015
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-89.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,371 ¥22.4K
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-19.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,941 ¥12.9K
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-36.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benxi
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$447 ¥2,971
$502 ฿17.0K
-10.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4
5.57
-28.19%

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

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Benxi
$189
Phuket
$491 159% $302
Groceries & Markets
Benxi
$179
Phuket
$266 48.6% $87
Eating Out
Benxi
$79
Phuket
$122 53.2% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Benxi
$79
Phuket
$122 54.7% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Benxi
$78
Phuket
$82 4.9% $3.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benxi
$71
Phuket
$124 74.1% $53
Getting Around
Benxi
$16
Phuket
$71 347% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $137 in Benxi versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Benxi versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $266 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Benxi
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
11:02 11:02 AM
10:02 10:02 AM
1 h behind Benxi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
809,655
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benxi Phuket 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Benxi
  • 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
Benxi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Benxi or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 85% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Benxi and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Benxi and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Benxi or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $716 in Phuket.
How do childcare costs compare in Benxi and in Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Benxi and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Benxi or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 49% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Benxi or in Phuket?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Benxi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Benxi or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Benxi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Benxi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?