Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baoji Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baoji

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $648 in Baoji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,002 in Baoji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Baoji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than Baoji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Baoji 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.73 ¥18.67

68.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$11.11 ¥75.9

321.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$4.48 ¥30.57

94.20%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.42 ¥16.55

20.66%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.39 ¥2.69

74.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.26 ¥1.77

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.86 ¥5.85

191.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.78 ¥12.19

113.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.12 ¥7.64

92.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.60 ¥10.95

17.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.71 ¥4.82

204.23%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.67 ¥11.42

32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$6.92 ¥47.25

182.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.02 ¥13.81

88.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$8.82 ¥60.3

52.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.09 ¥7.42

199.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.10 ¥7.49

46.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$0.77 ¥5.27

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$0.74 ¥5.05

178.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.64 ¥4.39

151.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.59 ¥4.00

144.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.44 ¥3.02

134.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.49 ¥3.33

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$2.85 ¥19.45

57.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$8.37 ¥57.2

129.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.58 ¥3.94

213.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.69 ¥11.56

59.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.29 ¥1.99

375.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.45 ¥112

-28.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$0.73 ¥4.96

326.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.21 ¥1.43

376.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$2.75 ¥18.77

399.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.11 ¥7.59

17.12%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$18.6K ¥126.8K

47.30%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$16.5K ¥112.5K

100.44%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$46.00 ¥314

171.48%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$6.10 ¥41.67

125.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$12.01 ¥82.0

54.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$41.33 ¥282

46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$14.01 ¥95.7

22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$4.92 ¥33.63

83.13%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$194 ¥1,324

259.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$8,103 ¥55.3K

98.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$50.3 ¥343

17.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$36.98 ¥253

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$62.3 ¥425

83.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$69.9 ¥477

22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$275 ¥1,880

124.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$184 ¥1,257

137.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$592 ¥4,046

250.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$364 ¥2,489

314.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$2,956 ¥20.2K

27.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$1,767 ¥12.1K

52.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.32

23.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Baoji: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $275 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $11 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $147 per month, with Baoji 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

Phuket vs Baoji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,870 in Phuket and $972 in Baoji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $275 in Baoji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 40% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $194 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $648 in Baoji versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baoji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Baoji 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, Phuket and Baoji 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 Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.