Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Beihai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Beihai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $703 in Beihai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,130 in Beihai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,557 in Beihai, rent included.

Phuket costs about 78% more than Beihai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Beihai are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Beihai 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.73 ¥18.45

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.04 ¥142

119.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.95 ¥33.46

78.59%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.93 ¥19.77

4.44%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.43 ¥2.91

69.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.27 ¥1.81

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.90 ¥6.06

170.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.12 ¥14.30

78.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.80 ¥12.15

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.53 ¥10.33

18.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.95 ¥6.41

136.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.57 ¥10.60

43.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.90 ¥87.1

51.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.19 ¥21.54

14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.29 ¥69.5

26.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.80 ¥12.17

79.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.19 ¥8.07

36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.41 ¥9.54

68.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.13 ¥7.61

79.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.67 ¥4.49

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.91 ¥6.12

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.56 ¥3.78

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.52 ¥3.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.11 ¥21.04

42.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.88 ¥87.0

42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.80 ¥5.37

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.66 ¥11.18

61.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.27 ¥1.81

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$16.91 ¥114

-30.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.41 ¥9.50

120.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.33 ¥2.21

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.54 ¥44.21

115.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.16 ¥7.84

12.93%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.0K ¥128.5K

46.31%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.4K ¥111.1K

102.08%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$45.86 ¥310

166.99%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.81 ¥66.3

38.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.51 ¥77.8

62.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$41.99 ¥284

44.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.68 ¥92.5

24.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.44 ¥43.50

40.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$341 ¥2,307

106.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$17.2K ¥115.9K

-7.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.71 ¥289

37.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.88 ¥202

18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$72.3 ¥488

59.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$74.5 ¥503

12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$277 ¥1,871

125.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$187 ¥1,266

137.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$582 ¥3,936

250.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$353 ¥2,386

322.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,659 ¥18.0K

30.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,096 ¥14.2K

22.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Beihai: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $277 in Beihai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Beihai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $202 – making Beihai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Beihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 78% more than Beihai, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,055 in Beihai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beihai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $21.00 in Beihai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beihai, where all-in costs run around $703, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Beihai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Beihai costs $703 versus $1,250 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Beihai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.