Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiangmen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiangmen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Jiangmen versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,000 in Jiangmen versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,482 in Jiangmen versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Jiangmen costs roughly 59% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jiangmen 62% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.36 ¥22.55

$4.56 ฿150

-26.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.85 ¥200

$32.62 ฿1,073

-8.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ¥33.88

$8.90 ฿293

-43.26%

Cappuccino

$2.17 ¥14.55

$2.80 ฿92.2

-22.50%

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

$0.43 ¥2.85

$0.88 ฿28.94

-51.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.49 ฿16.08

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.19

$2.39 ฿78.5

-61.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.82

$3.71 ฿122

-60.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥10.54

$1.79 ฿58.8

-12.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.32

$1.44 ฿47.40

17.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.16

$1.58 ฿52.1

-32.28%

Eggs

$1.74 ¥11.70

$2.13 ฿69.9

-18.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.28 ¥149

$19.92 ฿655

11.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.19 ¥14.70

$3.43 ฿113

-36.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ¥91.0

$11.33 ฿372

19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 ¥14.16

$2.95 ฿97.0

-28.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.08

$1.72 ฿56.6

-47.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$2.32 ฿76.5

-49.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$2.08 ฿68.4

-31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.58

$1.47 ฿48.34

-53.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.32

$1.36 ฿44.65

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.10 ฿36.13

-71.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$0.57 ฿18.89

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ¥19.51

$4.27 ฿140

-31.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 ¥84.8

$18.42 ฿606

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.68

$1.87 ฿61.5

-62.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.11

$2.92 ฿96.1

-38.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.16

$2.22 ฿73.0

-78.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.41

$3.03 ฿99.6

-53.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.52

$1.07 ฿35.32

-64.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 ¥49.51

$3.93 ฿129

87.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.39

$1.49 ฿49.06

-16.11%

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

$19.6K ¥131.8K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-27.60%

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

$16.5K ¥110.5K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-40.00%

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

$49.97 ¥335

$103 ฿3,380

-51.39%

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

$8.39 ¥56.3

$10.99 ฿361

-23.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.25 ¥82.2

$17.51 ฿576

-30.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.91 ¥201

$53.5 ฿1,760

-44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.56 ¥30.58

$11.20 ฿368

-59.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ¥41.83

$7.48 ฿246

-16.71%

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

$242 ¥1,624

$557 ฿18.3K

-56.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ¥50.6K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-36.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.45 ¥198

$64.1 ฿2,107

-54.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 ¥270

$29.07 ฿956

38.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 ¥458

$96.0 ฿3,155

-28.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.97 ¥295

$90.3 ฿2,970

-51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ¥3,002

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-78.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 ¥1,765

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-78.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,007 ¥40.3K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

67.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,247 ¥8,366

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-50.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$580 ¥3,893

$503 ฿16.6K

15.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

5.57

-38.96%

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

Last update for Jiangmen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Jiangmen pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Jiangmen vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $273 per month, with Jiangmen cheaper across the board.

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

Jiangmen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiangmen and Phuket differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($518 vs $1,253 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Jiangmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $242 in Jiangmen versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiangmen – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Jiangmen versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.