Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Handan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
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Handan Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $691 per month in Handan vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Handan $691
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,040 per month in Handan vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Handan $1,040
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Handan vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Handan $1,390
Phuket $3,154

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.83 ¥12.16

$4.47 ฿151

-59.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.67 ¥118

$32.41 ฿1,093

-45.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.62

$8.81 ฿297

-49.49%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ¥17.82

$2.83 ฿95.4

-5.30%

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

$0.42 ¥2.82

$0.87 ฿29.41

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.49 ฿16.65

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 ¥4.75

$2.56 ฿86.3

-72.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.83

$3.68 ฿124

-59.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.10

$1.66 ฿55.9

-8.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$1.46 ฿49.31

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$1.50 ฿50.5

-51.33%

Eggs

$0.98 ¥6.49

$2.09 ฿70.5

-53.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 ¥79.8

$19.07 ฿643

-37.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.97 ¥19.77

$3.30 ฿111

-10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ¥74.4

$10.91 ฿368

2.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.39

$2.93 ฿98.9

-51.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.69 ฿57.0

-62.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.57

$2.25 ฿75.8

-36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$2.08 ฿70.0

-45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.51 ฿51.0

-79.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.06

$1.38 ฿46.52

-77.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$1.07 ฿35.96

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.52 ฿17.51

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 ¥24.86

$4.20 ฿142

-10.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 ¥67.0

$18.79 ฿634

-46.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$1.82 ฿61.5

-61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.04

$2.84 ฿95.8

-52.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.45 ฿48.98

-78.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 ¥121

$56.7 ฿1,912

-67.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 ¥6.25

$3.02 ฿102

-68.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$1.02 ฿34.33

-73.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ¥29.52

$3.69 ฿125

20.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.47 ฿49.76

-10.20%

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

$19.5K ¥129.9K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-27.07%

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

$14.9K ¥99.0K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-44.25%

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

$73.0 ¥486

$96.4 ฿3,251

-24.27%

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

$4.58 ¥30.47

$11.26 ฿380

-59.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.09 ¥33.88

$16.85 ฿568

-69.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 ¥274

$67.2 ฿2,268

-38.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 ¥114

$10.73 ฿362

59.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 ¥29.30

$7.50 ฿253

-41.33%

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

$213 ¥1,419

$476 ฿16.1K

-55.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ¥132.5K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

76.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.04 ¥200

$62.4 ฿2,104

-51.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 ¥283

$28.41 ฿958

49.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.47 ¥303

$94.3 ฿3,181

-51.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 ¥461

$85.8 ฿2,895

-19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,955

$716 ฿24.2K

-58.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 ¥1,413

$491 ฿16.6K

-56.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥4,395

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-65.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥2,246

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-76.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 ¥18.6K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,092 ¥13.9K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-31.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ¥4,331

$502 ฿16.9K

29.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Handan: 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

Handan

$212 30.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 131% $279

Groceries & Markets

Handan

$171 24.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 56% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Handan

$84 12.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 44.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Handan

$83 12%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 50.6% $42

Eating Out

Handan

$69 10%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 75.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Handan

$50 7.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 64.6% $32

Getting Around

Handan

$22 3.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 224% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Handan 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 30% higher in Handan, 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 $18 in Handan versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $266 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Handan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

05:29 5:29 AM

1 h behind Handan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,413,990

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 = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Handan Phuket 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Handan
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

Handan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Handan 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 Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Handan and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $691 in Handan and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Handan about 46% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Handan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Handan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.