Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changzhou and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $741 in Changzhou versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Changzhou $741
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,217 in Changzhou versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Changzhou $1,217
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Changzhou versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Changzhou $1,694
Phuket $2,867

Living in Changzhou costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changzhou 45% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$4.58 ฿153

-36.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.54 ¥191

$32.48 ฿1,086

-12.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ¥30.16

$8.55 ฿286

-47.25%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ¥14.82

$2.72 ฿91.0

-18.38%

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

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.94 ฿31.25

-59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.49 ฿16.39

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$2.59 ฿86.6

-76.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$3.83 ฿128

-62.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.47

$1.74 ฿58.1

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥8.59

$1.43 ฿47.82

-10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$1.53 ฿51.0

-34.64%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.53

$2.17 ฿72.7

-20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥49.53

$19.15 ฿640

-61.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 ¥18.85

$3.30 ฿110

-14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 ¥82.6

$11.14 ฿372

10.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ¥14.44

$2.95 ฿98.5

-26.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.58

$1.68 ฿56.1

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.14

$2.30 ฿76.8

-14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.96

$2.13 ฿71.3

-51.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$1.53 ฿51.1

-49.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.36 ฿45.55

-27.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$1.12 ฿37.44

-65.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.18

$0.55 ฿18.24

12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ¥22.03

$4.26 ฿142

-22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 ¥70.8

$18.19 ฿608

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.48

$1.74 ฿58.2

-52.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.45

$2.79 ฿93.3

-44.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$2.22 ฿74.1

-85.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.32 ¥95.8

$22.06 ฿737

-35.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$2.91 ฿97.3

-48.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.01 ฿33.79

-69.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$3.83 ฿128

-23.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.49 ฿49.85

-12.08%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-36.03%

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

$13.8K ¥92.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-48.31%

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

$57.5 ¥385

$99.4 ฿3,321

-42.13%

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

$8.13 ¥54.3

$11.28 ฿377

-27.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.66 ¥71.3

$17.36 ฿580

-38.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 ¥271

$52.3 ฿1,747

-22.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 ¥98.6

$10.85 ฿362

35.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 ¥30.53

$7.57 ฿253

-39.63%

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

$251 ¥1,681

$558 ฿18.7K

-54.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ¥101.0K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

31.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥370

$62.9 ฿2,102

-12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.58 ¥151

$28.58 ฿955

-20.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥508

$96.1 ฿3,213

-20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 ¥510

$88.1 ฿2,943

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥1,908

$729 ฿24.4K

-60.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ¥1,529

$460 ฿15.4K

-50.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 ¥6,132

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-56.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥3,311

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-59.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 ¥19.7K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-14.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 ¥10.8K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-35.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 ¥7,131

$493 ฿16.5K

116.31%

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 Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Changzhou

$229 30.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 101% $231

Groceries & Markets

Changzhou

$192 25.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 39.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Changzhou

$104 14%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 19.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changzhou

$76 10.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 67.8% $52

Eating Out

Changzhou

$72 9.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 68.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Changzhou

$50 6.7%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 35.6% $18

Getting Around

Changzhou

$19 2.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 108% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Changzhou and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Changzhou vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $268 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

1 h behind Changzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,278,121

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Changzhou Phuket 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Changzhou
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

Changzhou vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 116% higher in Changzhou, 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: $285 in Changzhou versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.