Cost of Living Comparison Between Ningbo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ningbo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $840 in Ningbo versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Ningbo versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,804 in Ningbo versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ningbo costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ningbo 37% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 ¥21.08

$4.55 ฿153

-31.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.61 ¥166

$46.18 ฿1,553

-46.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 ¥27.83

$8.84 ฿297

-53.39%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥20.68

$3.06 ฿103

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

$0.41 ¥2.80

$0.73 ฿24.40

-43.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.76

$0.40 ฿13.39

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.33

$2.43 ฿81.8

-61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$3.78 ฿127

-45.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ¥14.01

$2.26 ฿76.0

-8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 ¥18.35

$1.81 ฿60.9

49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$2.25 ฿75.8

-64.44%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.16

$2.25 ฿75.5

-39.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.53 ¥139

$19.51 ฿656

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ¥32.89

$3.65 ฿123

33.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 ¥81.5

$13.05 ฿439

-7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.90

$3.23 ฿109

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.52

$1.62 ฿54.4

-12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 ¥15.07

$2.38 ฿80.1

-6.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.76

$2.03 ฿68.1

-43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.52

$1.53 ฿51.6

-56.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.31

$1.50 ฿50.5

-47.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥4.00

$0.98 ฿32.91

-39.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.52 ฿17.39

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ¥36.32

$4.44 ฿149

21.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.35 ¥56.4

$18.32 ฿616

-54.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.73

$1.86 ฿62.7

-38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.78

$2.68 ฿90.1

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$1.41 ฿47.46

-79.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.81 ¥114

$11.70 ฿393

43.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ¥11.18

$3.11 ฿105

-46.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.21

$1.04 ฿35.06

-68.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 ¥47.15

$14.11 ฿474

-50.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥8.00

$1.31 ฿44.10

-9.92%

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

$21.3K ¥144.0K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-23.38%

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

$19.7K ¥132.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-40.82%

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

$64.3 ¥435

$122 ฿4,118

-47.47%

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

$15.88 ¥107

$13.59 ฿457

16.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.77 ¥45.78

$18.70 ฿629

-63.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.69 ¥147

$60.5 ฿2,034

-64.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.89 ¥87.1

$16.98 ฿571

-24.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.44 ¥57.1

$9.07 ฿305

-6.95%

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

$597 ¥4,034

$706 ฿23.8K

-15.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ¥101.7K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-4.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.71 ¥289

$58.6 ฿1,969

-27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.77 ¥201

$35.36 ฿1,189

-15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ¥466

$115 ฿3,883

-40.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.8 ¥425

$83.7 ฿2,816

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 ¥2,593

$626 ฿21.0K

-38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ¥1,731

$445 ฿15.0K

-42.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 ¥5,811

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-57.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 ¥3,306

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-67.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,649 ¥31.4K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

33.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,583 ¥17.5K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

0.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,192 ¥8,055

$500 ฿16.8K

138.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

5.33

-9.01%

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

Last update for Ningbo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Ningbo and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ningbo pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ningbo vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $289 per month, with Ningbo 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

Ningbo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ningbo wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ningbo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Ningbo, 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: $384 in Ningbo versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Ningbo 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 15% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $840 in Ningbo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ningbo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $840 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ningbo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ningbo 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 Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.