Cost of Living Comparison Between Luoyang and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Luoyang and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $624 in Luoyang versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,010 in Luoyang versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in Luoyang versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Luoyang costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luoyang 54% lower, Phuket 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 ¥23.35

$4.59 ฿147

-25.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.24 ¥193

$46.83 ฿1,501

-39.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.77

$8.70 ฿279

-41.49%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥23.09

$2.92 ฿93.7

15.75%

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

$0.43 ¥2.96

$0.68 ฿21.92

-36.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.57

$0.40 ฿12.70

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ¥7.92

$2.51 ฿80.4

-53.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ¥18.98

$3.80 ฿122

-26.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ¥11.79

$2.16 ฿69.3

-19.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥13.97

$1.88 ฿60.3

9.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.35

$2.16 ฿69.2

-56.94%

Eggs

$1.33 ¥9.10

$2.22 ฿71.2

-40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 ¥86.2

$19.57 ฿627

-35.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥22.14

$3.80 ฿122

-14.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 ¥57.0

$13.41 ฿430

-37.73%

Apples (1kg)

$0.88 ¥6.01

$3.26 ฿104

-73.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.63

$1.61 ฿51.7

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ¥9.56

$2.31 ฿74.0

-39.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.40

$2.06 ฿66.0

-47.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.60

$1.61 ฿51.5

-58.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.63

$1.44 ฿46.26

-32.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ¥2.98

$1.03 ฿33.01

-57.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥5.04

$0.48 ฿15.39

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.61 ¥11.00

$4.50 ฿144

-64.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 ¥90.6

$19.18 ฿615

-30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ¥2.73

$1.82 ฿58.4

-78.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥13.58

$2.69 ฿86.2

-26.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥2.00

$1.38 ฿44.16

-78.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.82 ¥115

$11.76 ฿377

43.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ¥7.73

$3.11 ฿99.6

-63.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.40

$1.00 ฿32.18

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 ¥45.09

$13.74 ฿441

-51.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.81

$1.30 ฿41.61

-12.31%

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

$19.0K ¥129.8K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-30.55%

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

$16.7K ¥114.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-49.31%

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

$39.53 ¥270

$125 ฿4,004

-68.35%

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

$5.54 ¥37.83

$13.74 ฿440

-59.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.83 ¥67.2

$18.61 ฿597

-47.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.85 ¥142

$60.6 ฿1,941

-65.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ¥76.5

$17.15 ฿550

-34.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ¥34.69

$9.01 ฿289

-43.62%

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

$184 ¥1,258

$698 ฿22.4K

-73.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥116.1K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

5.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 ¥316

$59.2 ฿1,898

-21.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.57 ¥188

$34.86 ฿1,118

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 ¥404

$114 ฿3,662

-48.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ¥502

$85.8 ฿2,751

-14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 ¥1,217

$619 ฿19.8K

-71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ¥805

$437 ฿14.0K

-73.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,705

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 ¥1,434

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-86.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,069 ¥14.1K

$3,764 ฿120.7K

-45.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 ¥9,561

$2,694 ฿86.4K

-48.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$621 ¥4,244

$528 ฿16.9K

17.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

5.33

-16.51%

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

Last update for Luoyang: April 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Luoyang and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luoyang pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28 in Luoyang vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $292 per month, with Luoyang 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

Luoyang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luoyang wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luoyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Luoyang pays 18% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $178 in Luoyang versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $184 in Luoyang versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $624 in Luoyang versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Luoyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Luoyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Luoyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $624 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luoyang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Luoyang 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 Luoyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.