Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanjing and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $846 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$846

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $846 in Nanjing versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Nanjing $846
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Nanjing versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Nanjing $1,333
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,820 in Nanjing versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Nanjing $1,820
Phuket $2,845

Living in Nanjing costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nanjing 38% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 ¥25.50

$4.40 ฿147

-13.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.14 ¥148

$32.26 ฿1,078

-31.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 ¥32.03

$8.76 ฿293

-45.32%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.32

$2.83 ฿94.5

7.42%

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

$0.50 ¥3.34

$0.90 ฿30.14

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.47 ฿15.56

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$2.55 ฿85.2

-40.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ¥14.68

$3.83 ฿128

-42.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ¥14.48

$1.73 ฿57.7

25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 ¥14.30

$1.47 ฿49.11

45.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.51 ฿50.6

-39.74%

Eggs

$1.30 ¥8.71

$2.17 ฿72.7

-40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 ¥71.4

$19.70 ฿658

-45.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ¥20.36

$3.34 ฿112

-8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 ¥57.8

$11.16 ฿373

-22.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 ¥13.78

$2.85 ฿95.1

-27.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.70 ฿56.9

-27.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$2.19 ฿73.3

-18.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.37

$2.05 ฿68.4

-46.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.97

$1.45 ฿48.57

-38.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.46

$1.38 ฿46.16

-29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ¥6.37

$1.07 ฿35.69

-11.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.71

$0.51 ฿16.91

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.17

$4.26 ฿142

-11.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.41 ¥89.7

$18.58 ฿621

-27.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$1.78 ฿59.7

-46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ¥9.98

$2.85 ฿95.2

-47.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$2.26 ฿75.6

-86.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.18 ¥202

$22.10 ฿738

36.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$3.01 ฿101

-44.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.57

$1.06 ฿35.34

-64.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 ¥59.5

$3.86 ฿129

130.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$1.45 ฿48.45

-6.90%

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

$19.2K ¥128.3K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-27.13%

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

$17.4K ¥116.1K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-35.57%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$96.4 ฿3,221

-42.45%

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

$7.92 ¥53.0

$11.04 ฿369

-28.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.09 ¥47.42

$17.14 ฿573

-58.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.56 ¥191

$52.2 ฿1,744

-45.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.80 ¥233

$11.16 ฿373

211.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 ¥39.03

$7.81 ฿261

-25.22%

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

$1,508 ¥10.1K

$556 ฿18.6K

171.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ¥152.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

96.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.37 ¥290

$64.2 ฿2,146

-32.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 ¥227

$28.69 ฿959

18.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥431

$95.4 ฿3,187

-32.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ¥592

$88.0 ฿2,940

0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ¥3,501

$737 ฿24.6K

-28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,974

$462 ฿15.5K

-36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 ¥7,467

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-46.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 ¥3,732

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-53.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,105 ¥34.1K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

46.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,140 ¥21.0K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

24.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,410 ¥9,430

$501 ฿16.7K

181.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

5.57

-38.60%

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

Last update for Nanjing: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nanjing

$295 34.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 56.6% $167

Groceries & Markets

Nanjing

$205 24.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 31% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nanjing

$104 12.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 19.9% $21

Eating Out

Nanjing

$96 11.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 25.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanjing

$70 8.3%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 76.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Nanjing

$40 4.8%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 68.5% $28

Getting Around

Nanjing

$35 4.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 12.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Nanjing and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanjing pays 182% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Nanjing vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $269 per month, with Nanjing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

20:19 8:19 PM

1 h behind Nanjing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,314,685

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 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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nanjing Phuket 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nanjing
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

Nanjing vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 182% higher in Nanjing, 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: $524 in Nanjing versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $846 per month in Nanjing versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Nanjing versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nanjing is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.