Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huai'an and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Huai'an: $712 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Huai'an
🇨🇳 China
$712
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $712 per month in Huai'an vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Huai'an $712
  • Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,127 per month in Huai'an vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Huai'an $1,127
  • Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,542 per month in Huai'an vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Huai'an $1,542
  • Phuket $2,867

Huai'an is about 41% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Huai'an and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Huai'an 47% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.84 ¥19.02
$4.58 ฿153
-37.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.39 ¥143
$32.48 ฿1,086
-34.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.83 ¥32.31
$8.55 ฿286
-43.51%
Cappuccino
$3.09 ¥20.65
$2.72 ฿91.0
13.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ¥2.90
$0.94 ฿31.25
-54.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 ¥1.96
$0.49 ฿16.39
-40.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.88 ¥5.86
$2.59 ฿86.6
-66.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 ¥14.37
$3.83 ฿128
-43.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 ¥11.97
$1.74 ฿58.1
2.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 ¥10.33
$1.43 ฿47.82
8.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ¥6.31
$1.53 ฿51.0
-38.56%
Eggs
$1.60 ¥10.67
$2.17 ฿72.7
-26.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.96 ¥86.7
$19.15 ฿640
-32.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 ¥21.09
$3.30 ฿110
-4.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.15 ¥67.9
$11.14 ฿372
-8.89%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 ¥12.43
$2.95 ฿98.5
-36.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ¥8.44
$1.68 ฿56.1
-25.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 ¥9.97
$2.30 ฿76.8
-35.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.11 ¥7.39
$2.13 ฿71.3
-47.89%
Potato (1kg)
$0.73 ¥4.89
$1.53 ฿51.1
-52.29%
Onion (1kg)
$0.90 ¥6.03
$1.36 ฿45.55
-33.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 ¥3.72
$1.12 ฿37.44
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 ¥3.37
$0.55 ฿18.24
-9.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.04 ¥20.33
$4.26 ฿142
-28.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.38 ¥69.4
$18.19 ฿608
-42.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 ¥5.40
$1.74 ฿58.2
-53.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 ¥11.00
$2.79 ฿93.3
-41.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 ¥1.79
$2.22 ฿74.1
-87.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.42 ¥110
$22.06 ฿737
-25.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.41 ¥9.43
$2.91 ฿97.3
-51.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.33 ¥2.19
$1.01 ฿33.79
-67.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.75 ¥45.16
$3.83 ฿128
76.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 ¥7.54
$1.49 ฿49.85
-24.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.6K ¥131.2K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
-26.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K ¥113.4K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
-36.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.97 ¥301
$99.4 ฿3,321
-54.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.59 ¥64.1
$11.28 ฿377
-14.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.53 ¥77.1
$17.36 ฿580
-33.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.25 ¥276
$52.3 ฿1,747
-21.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.14 ¥94.5
$10.85 ฿362
30.32%
Cinema Ticket
$5.85 ¥39.12
$7.57 ฿253
-22.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$338 ¥2,262
$558 ฿18.7K
-39.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K ¥112.6K
$11.5K ฿383.9K
46.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.21 ¥296
$62.9 ฿2,102
-29.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.84 ¥200
$28.58 ฿955
4.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.8 ¥473
$96.1 ฿3,213
-26.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ¥481
$88.1 ฿2,943
-18.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$276 ¥1,847
$729 ฿24.4K
-62.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$192 ¥1,283
$460 ฿15.4K
-58.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$598 ¥3,999
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-71.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 ¥2,379
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-70.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,977 ¥19.9K
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-13.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,044 ¥13.7K
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-17.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Huai'an
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$493 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.89
5.57
-30.16%

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

Last update for Huai'an: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Huai'an
$197
Phuket
$268 35.6% $70
Accommodation & Living
Huai'an
$192
Phuket
$460 140% $268
Clothing & Footwear
Huai'an
$98
Phuket
$124 27.2% $27
Eating Out
Huai'an
$86
Phuket
$121 41.2% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Huai'an
$66
Phuket
$128 93.7% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Huai'an
$53
Phuket
$67 27.3% $14
Getting Around
Huai'an
$21
Phuket
$39 89.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Huai'an versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Huai'an versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $268 – making Huai'an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Huai'an
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
12:26 12:26 PM
11:26 11:26 AM
1 h behind Huai'an
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,799,889
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 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Huai'an Phuket 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Huai'an
  • 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
Huai'an vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Huai'an?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,069 per month in Huai'an and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Huai'an, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Huai'an and in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 36% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Huai'an or in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Huai'an and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Huai'an or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Huai'an, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Huai'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Huai'an or Phuket more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Huai'an – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Huai'an or Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Huai'an. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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