Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanchang and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $648 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
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Nanchang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Nanchang vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Nanchang $648
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Nanchang vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Nanchang $1,058
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,467 per month in Nanchang vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Nanchang $1,467
Phuket $2,867

Nanchang is about 46% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nanchang and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Nanchang 52% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 ¥15.70

$4.58 ฿153

-48.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.21 ¥122

$32.48 ฿1,086

-43.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ¥32.18

$8.55 ฿286

-43.74%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ¥17.29

$2.72 ฿91.0

-4.78%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.94 ฿31.25

-53.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.49 ฿16.39

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$2.59 ฿86.6

-49.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.66

$3.83 ฿128

-50.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ¥13.70

$1.74 ฿58.1

17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 ¥16.07

$1.43 ฿47.82

67.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$1.53 ฿51.0

-45.10%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$2.17 ฿72.7

-23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$19.15 ฿640

-30.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ¥26.44

$3.30 ฿110

19.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 ¥78.7

$11.14 ฿372

5.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.29

$2.95 ฿98.5

-32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$1.68 ฿56.1

-35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.74

$2.30 ฿76.8

-16.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$2.13 ฿71.3

-15.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.53 ฿51.1

-40.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.54

$1.36 ฿45.55

-16.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$1.12 ฿37.44

-45.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.55 ฿18.24

-21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ¥20.51

$4.26 ฿142

-27.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 ¥83.0

$18.19 ฿608

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.20

$1.74 ฿58.2

-55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥10.19

$2.79 ฿93.3

-45.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$2.22 ฿74.1

-88.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.93 ¥99.8

$22.06 ฿737

-32.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$2.91 ฿97.3

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.01 ฿33.79

-69.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.75

$3.83 ฿128

90.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.49 ฿49.85

-16.11%

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

$19.1K ¥127.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-28.41%

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

$17.9K ¥119.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-33.17%

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

$34.93 ¥234

$99.4 ฿3,321

-64.85%

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

$9.27 ¥62.0

$11.28 ฿377

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.34 ¥89.2

$17.36 ฿580

-23.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.85 ¥287

$52.3 ฿1,747

-18.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 ¥131

$10.85 ฿362

80.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ¥42.91

$7.57 ฿253

-15.19%

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

$326 ¥2,176

$558 ฿18.7K

-41.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

46.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.86 ¥253

$62.9 ฿2,102

-39.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.07 ¥148

$28.58 ฿955

-22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ¥585

$96.1 ฿3,213

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ¥405

$88.1 ฿2,943

-31.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ¥1,493

$729 ฿24.4K

-69.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ¥791

$460 ฿15.4K

-74.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ¥3,014

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-78.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,718

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-78.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,008 ¥13.4K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-41.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,624 ¥10.9K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-34.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$745 ¥4,984

$493 ฿16.5K

51.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.57

-37.88%

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

Last update for Nanchang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Nanchang

$227 35%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 17.9% $41

Accommodation & Living

Nanchang

$118 18.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 289% $342

Clothing & Footwear

Nanchang

$94 14.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 32.4% $30

Eating Out

Nanchang

$77 11.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 56.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanchang

$58 8.9%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 123% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Nanchang

$56 8.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 21.1% $12

Getting Around

Nanchang

$19 2.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 107% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Nanchang 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.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Nanchang, 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 $18.00 in Nanchang versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $268 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

11:16 11:16 AM

1 h behind Nanchang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,042,566

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nanchang Phuket 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nanchang
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

Nanchang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 86% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $973 per month in Nanchang and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $648 in Nanchang and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 86%.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Nanchang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nanchang costs $648 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nanchang. 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.