Cost of Living Comparison Between Nantong and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Nantong and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Nantong versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,012 in Nantong versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,416 in Nantong versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Nantong costs roughly 51% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nantong 54% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.36

$4.55 ฿153

-40.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.07 ¥149

$46.18 ฿1,554

-52.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ¥29.78

$8.84 ฿298

-50.23%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ¥17.91

$3.06 ฿103

-13.40%

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

$0.44 ¥3.01

$0.73 ฿24.42

-39.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.76

$0.40 ฿13.40

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 ¥4.90

$2.43 ฿81.8

-70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥13.99

$3.78 ฿127

-45.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥10.24

$2.26 ฿76.0

-33.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ¥9.60

$1.81 ฿60.9

-21.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.35

$2.25 ฿75.8

-71.56%

Eggs

$1.49 ¥10.05

$2.25 ฿75.6

-33.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.23 ¥42.13

$19.51 ฿656

-68.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ¥18.27

$3.65 ฿123

-26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 ¥62.1

$13.05 ฿439

-29.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 ¥14.55

$3.23 ฿109

-33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.73

$1.62 ฿54.4

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ¥11.01

$2.38 ฿80.2

-31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.78

$2.03 ฿68.2

-43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.95

$1.53 ฿51.6

-62.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.21

$1.50 ฿50.5

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ¥4.97

$0.98 ฿32.93

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ¥3.19

$0.52 ฿17.40

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ¥21.62

$4.44 ฿149

-27.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 ¥61.5

$18.32 ฿616

-50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.39

$1.86 ฿62.7

-49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.42

$2.68 ฿90.2

-42.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ¥1.35

$1.41 ฿47.49

-85.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥144

$11.70 ฿394

81.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥10.10

$3.11 ฿105

-52.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$1.04 ฿35.08

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ¥58.2

$14.11 ฿475

-39.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.74

$1.31 ฿44.13

-12.98%

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

$17.3K ¥117.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-37.83%

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

$14.7K ¥99.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-55.81%

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

$39.71 ¥269

$122 ฿4,120

-67.57%

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

$8.19 ¥55.4

$13.59 ฿457

-39.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$18.70 ฿629

-40.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 ¥281

$60.5 ฿2,035

-31.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.17 ¥75.6

$16.98 ฿572

-34.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 ¥37.85

$9.07 ฿305

-38.37%

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

$187 ¥1,266

$706 ฿23.8K

-73.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ¥75.8K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-29.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥295

$58.6 ฿1,970

-25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.41 ¥226

$35.36 ฿1,190

-5.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥410

$115 ฿3,885

-47.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ¥566

$83.7 ฿2,818

-0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 ¥1,406

$626 ฿21.1K

-66.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$137 ¥927

$445 ฿15.0K

-69.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,095

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ¥2,203

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-78.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,680 ¥24.9K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

5.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 ¥16.3K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-6.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,322 ¥8,949

$500 ฿16.8K

164.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

5.33

-27.39%

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

Last update for Nantong: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Nantong and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nantong pays 165% 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 Nantong vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $289 per month, with Nantong 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

Nantong vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nantong and Phuket differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($608 vs $1,250 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% higher in Nantong, 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: $208 in Nantong versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Nantong versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $608 in Nantong versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nantong 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, Nantong 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 Nantong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.