Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guangzhou (Canton) and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton): $914 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Guangzhou (Canton)
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Guangzhou (Canton) Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Guangzhou (Canton)

🇨🇳 China

$914

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $914 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $914
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,442 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,442
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,971
Phuket $3,154

Guangzhou (Canton) is about 29% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guangzhou (Canton) and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Guangzhou (Canton) 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ¥20.16

$4.47 ฿151

-32.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.73 ¥198

$32.41 ฿1,094

-8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.66

$8.81 ฿297

-39.16%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ¥21.21

$2.83 ฿95.5

12.72%

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

$0.54 ¥3.60

$0.87 ฿29.43

-37.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.43

$0.49 ฿16.67

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$2.56 ฿86.4

-48.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.30

$3.68 ฿124

-25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥12.46

$1.66 ฿56.0

12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 ¥12.77

$1.46 ฿49.35

31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.30

$1.50 ฿50.6

-26.67%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.40

$2.09 ฿70.5

-25.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.83 ¥112

$19.07 ฿644

-11.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 ¥34.46

$3.30 ฿111

56.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 ¥79.9

$10.91 ฿368

9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 ¥14.77

$2.93 ฿99.0

-24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.33

$1.69 ฿57.1

-26.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.64

$2.25 ฿75.8

-35.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.43

$2.08 ฿70.1

-17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.30

$1.51 ฿51.0

-37.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$1.38 ฿46.56

-12.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ¥5.58

$1.07 ฿35.99

-21.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.74

$0.52 ฿17.52

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 ¥26.05

$4.20 ฿142

-6.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 ¥72.3

$18.79 ฿634

-42.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$1.82 ฿61.5

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ¥12.82

$2.84 ฿95.9

-32.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$1.45 ฿49.03

-69.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.29 ¥122

$56.7 ฿1,913

-67.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ¥11.76

$3.02 ฿102

-41.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.66

$1.02 ฿34.36

-60.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 ¥48.01

$3.69 ฿125

95.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ¥9.11

$1.47 ฿49.81

-6.80%

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

$19.7K ¥131.3K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-26.34%

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

$17.8K ¥118.7K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-33.18%

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

$60.4 ¥402

$96.4 ฿3,254

-37.34%

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

$16.16 ¥108

$11.26 ฿380

43.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.47 ¥96.3

$16.85 ฿569

-14.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.9 ¥472

$67.2 ฿2,270

5.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 ¥81.7

$10.73 ฿362

14.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 ¥43.43

$7.50 ฿253

-12.93%

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

$1,612 ¥10.7K

$476 ฿16.1K

238.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K ¥164.3K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

119.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.97 ¥326

$62.4 ฿2,106

-21.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.73 ¥271

$28.41 ฿959

43.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 ¥546

$94.3 ฿3,184

-12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥474

$85.8 ฿2,898

-16.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ¥3,386

$716 ฿24.2K

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 ¥1,794

$491 ฿16.6K

-45.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 ¥8,144

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ¥3,330

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-65.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 ¥55.0K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

98.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,705 ¥24.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

21.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,269 ¥8,443

$502 ฿17.0K

152.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

5.57

-39.32%

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

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guangzhou (Canton)

$270 29.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 82.1% $221

Groceries & Markets

Guangzhou (Canton)

$242 26.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 10.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Guangzhou (Canton)

$109 12%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 11.5% $13

Eating Out

Guangzhou (Canton)

$94 10.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 29.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guangzhou (Canton)

$91 10%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 36.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Guangzhou (Canton)

$84 9.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 2% $1.7

Getting Around

Guangzhou (Canton)

$24 2.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 196% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Guangzhou (Canton) 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 in Guangzhou (Canton) are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $266 – making Guangzhou (Canton) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

21:55 9:55 PM

1 h behind Guangzhou (Canton)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,043,500

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 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Guangzhou (Canton) Phuket 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Guangzhou (Canton)
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

Guangzhou (Canton) vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $914 in Guangzhou (Canton), $1,278 in Phuket – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,371 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton), especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $509 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $914 in Guangzhou (Canton) and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 40%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Guangzhou (Canton). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Guangzhou (Canton), where all-in costs run around $914, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Guangzhou (Canton) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $914 in Guangzhou (Canton) to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Guangzhou (Canton) is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 40% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.