Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanning and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanning and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $700 in Nanning versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,090 in Nanning versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,480 in Nanning versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Nanning costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nanning 48% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥19.28

$4.63 ฿151

-39.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.16 ¥131

$46.84 ฿1,523

-59.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥34.70

$8.84 ฿287

-42.65%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ¥15.50

$3.00 ฿97.4

-24.67%

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

$0.51 ¥3.49

$0.74 ฿24.11

-31.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.70

$0.37 ฿11.88

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ¥5.48

$2.44 ฿79.3

-67.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ¥16.03

$3.61 ฿117

-35.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ¥11.59

$2.26 ฿73.5

-25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ¥7.55

$1.84 ฿59.8

-40.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥7.07

$2.24 ฿73.0

-54.02%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.50

$2.32 ฿75.3

-34.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 ¥63.8

$19.67 ฿639

-52.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ¥22.58

$3.65 ฿119

-9.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 ¥104

$13.10 ฿426

16.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.77

$3.39 ฿110

-45.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.56

$1.64 ฿53.4

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 ¥8.11

$2.41 ฿78.5

-51.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ¥11.16

$2.03 ฿66.0

-19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.23

$1.56 ฿50.6

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.40

$1.50 ฿48.66

-28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 ¥2.99

$1.02 ฿33.30

-56.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.72

$0.49 ฿15.91

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 ¥23.91

$4.45 ฿145

-21.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.57 ¥99.8

$18.88 ฿614

-22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥6.07

$1.78 ฿57.7

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.62

$2.75 ฿89.5

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ¥3.51

$1.40 ฿45.54

-63.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 ¥99.1

$11.48 ฿373

25.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ¥8.81

$3.12 ฿101

-58.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.68

$1.00 ฿32.48

-61.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 ¥53.2

$14.09 ฿458

-44.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.82

$1.35 ฿43.93

-15.56%

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

$21.6K ¥147.9K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-20.60%

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

$12.7K ¥86.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-61.53%

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

$40.21 ¥275

$125 ฿4,063

-67.83%

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

$13.13 ¥90.0

$13.57 ฿441

-3.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.78 ¥73.8

$18.52 ฿602

-41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 ¥473

$61.5 ฿1,999

12.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 ¥47.17

$16.84 ฿547

-59.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.73 ¥39.24

$9.19 ฿299

-37.65%

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

$298 ¥2,040

$698 ฿22.7K

-57.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ¥95.2K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-10.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.85 ¥129

$57.8 ฿1,878

-67.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ¥193

$35.24 ฿1,146

-19.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ¥449

$113 ฿3,677

-41.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥713

$86.4 ฿2,808

20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 ¥1,604

$616 ฿20.0K

-61.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 ¥1,005

$446 ฿14.5K

-67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ¥2,415

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-82.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,895

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-81.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,469 ¥23.8K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-8.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,399 ¥9,583

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-47.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 ¥4,544

$524 ฿17.0K

26.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

5.33

-21.58%

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

Last update for Nanning: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Nanning and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanning pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Nanning vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $292 per month, with Nanning 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

Nanning vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanning and Phuket differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($700 vs $1,232 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Nanning pays 27% 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: $234 in Nanning versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanning runs roughly 26% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $298 in Nanning versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $700 in Nanning versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanning but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nanning 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, Nanning 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 Nanning gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.