Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hangzhou and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $985 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $985 per month in Hangzhou vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Hangzhou $985
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,533 per month in Hangzhou vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Hangzhou $1,533
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in Hangzhou vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Hangzhou $2,080
Phuket $3,154

Hangzhou is about 23% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hangzhou and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Hangzhou 28% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.73 ¥24.75

$4.47 ฿151

-16.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.03 ¥173

$32.41 ฿1,093

-19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ¥31.06

$8.81 ฿297

-46.88%

Cappuccino

$3.48 ¥23.12

$2.83 ฿95.4

22.97%

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

$0.61 ¥4.04

$0.87 ฿29.40

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.49 ฿16.65

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.06

$2.56 ฿86.3

-52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥14.78

$3.68 ฿124

-39.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.19

$1.66 ฿55.9

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.69

$1.46 ฿49.29

10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.31

$1.50 ฿50.5

-26.67%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥13.98

$2.09 ฿70.5

0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ¥126

$19.07 ฿643

-0.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 ¥24.84

$3.30 ฿111

13.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.29 ¥68.3

$10.91 ฿368

-5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ¥15.40

$2.93 ฿98.8

-20.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

$1.69 ฿57.0

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ¥10.08

$2.25 ฿75.7

-32.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.17

$2.08 ฿70.0

-26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.21

$1.51 ฿51.0

-37.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.26

$1.38 ฿46.51

-31.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.07 ฿35.95

-41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.64

$0.52 ฿17.50

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥26.69

$4.20 ฿142

-4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 ¥88.8

$18.79 ฿634

-28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.10

$1.82 ฿61.4

-57.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.95

$2.84 ฿95.8

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.12

$1.45 ฿48.97

-67.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.73 ¥118

$56.7 ฿1,911

-68.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ¥13.02

$3.02 ฿102

-35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$1.02 ฿34.32

-62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥46.35

$3.69 ฿124

89.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.73

$1.47 ฿49.75

-10.20%

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

$19.7K ¥130.9K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

-26.32%

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

$18.4K ¥122.0K

$26.7K ฿900.3K

-31.12%

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

$48.04 ¥319

$96.4 ฿3,250

-50.14%

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

$10.04 ¥66.6

$11.26 ฿380

-10.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.02 ¥99.7

$16.85 ฿568

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ¥350

$67.2 ฿2,268

-21.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥133

$10.73 ฿362

86.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 ¥50.1

$7.50 ฿253

0.67%

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

$577 ¥3,826

$476 ฿16.1K

21.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K ¥237.5K

$11.3K ฿379.9K

217.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 ¥400

$62.4 ฿2,103

-3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.24 ¥280

$28.41 ฿958

48.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 ¥558

$94.3 ฿3,180

-10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ¥734

$85.8 ฿2,894

28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,664

$716 ฿24.1K

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,334

$491 ฿16.6K

-28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,413

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ¥4,159

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-56.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,668 ¥50.9K

$4,175 ฿140.8K

83.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 ¥25.3K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

25.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,582 ¥10.5K

$502 ฿16.9K

215.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Hangzhou: 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

Hangzhou

$352 35.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 39.6% $139

Groceries & Markets

Hangzhou

$235 23.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 13.2% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Hangzhou

$134 13.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 8.8% $12

Eating Out

Hangzhou

$100 10.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 21.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hangzhou

$73 7.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 70.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Hangzhou

$68 6.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 21.2% $14

Getting Around

Hangzhou

$23 2.4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 201% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Hangzhou 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 Hangzhou are about 3.2 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 $26 in Hangzhou versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $266 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

1 h behind Hangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,360,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hangzhou Phuket 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hangzhou
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

Hangzhou vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,477 per month in Hangzhou 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 Hangzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $552 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Hangzhou and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $985 in Hangzhou to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Hangzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.