Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benxi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benxi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $672 in Benxi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $928 in Benxi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $1,185 in Benxi, rent included.

Phuket costs about 82% more than Benxi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Benxi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Benxi 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.77 ¥18.74

62.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$20.55 ¥139

126.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$5.01 ¥33.82

69.46%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.62 ¥17.68

17.56%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.46 ¥3.10

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.29 ¥1.96

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$0.68 ¥4.60

257.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$1.65 ¥11.12

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.78 ¥12.03

23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.08 ¥7.29

67.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.75 ¥5.08

197.33%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.06 ¥7.19

111.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.10 ¥61.5

115.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.75 ¥18.55

35.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$8.56 ¥57.8

57.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.41 ¥9.56

138.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.31 ¥8.84

23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.50 ¥10.13

60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.23 ¥8.33

61.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.55 ¥3.68

178.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.78 ¥12.00

-18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.16 ¥7.81

-12.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.61 ¥4.12

-21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.75 ¥18.61

55.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$7.95 ¥53.7

140.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.54 ¥3.68

240.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$0.97 ¥6.52

182.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$11.28 ¥76.2

3.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.86 ¥5.79

248.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.26 ¥1.75

303.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$3.40 ¥22.95

308.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.05 ¥7.10

22.86%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$18.4K ¥124.2K

52.49%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥115.1K

96.69%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$51.6 ¥349

136.40%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$6.45 ¥43.54

115.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$9.59 ¥64.8

96.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$62.3 ¥421

-1.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$7.83 ¥52.9

115.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.99 ¥33.70

78.16%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$423 ¥2,856

63.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$8,340 ¥56.3K

93.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$28.04 ¥189

106.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$30.98 ¥209

14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$56.0 ¥378

102.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$48.31 ¥326

71.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$124 ¥839

388.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$186 ¥1,256

141.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$243 ¥1,642

734.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$139 ¥937

976.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$3,154 ¥21.3K

13.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,725 ¥11.7K

49.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$444 ¥3,001

13.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Benxi: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $124 in Benxi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $167 – making Benxi 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 Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 82% more than Benxi, 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 $1,835 per month in Phuket and $1,007 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Phuket and $423 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 75% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $672, than in Phuket at $1,223. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Benxi costs $672 versus $1,223 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 Benxi. 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.