Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Binzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Binzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $787 in Binzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,229 in Binzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,671 in Binzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Binzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Binzhou 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.00 ¥20.11

52.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$17.64 ¥118

84.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.57 ¥30.65

94.75%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.69 ¥18.08

4.09%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.55 ¥3.66

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.30 ¥2.01

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.13 ¥7.57

111.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.66 ¥17.86

39.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.88 ¥12.63

-4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.37 ¥9.17

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.02 ¥6.83

54.90%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.30 ¥8.72

63.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$15.92 ¥107

25.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.39 ¥29.46

-21.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.97 ¥66.9

13.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.39 ¥9.33

112.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.14 ¥7.66

50.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.65 ¥11.08

40.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.26 ¥8.44

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.71 ¥4.76

107.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.95 ¥6.40

43.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.94 ¥6.28

17.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.60 ¥4.02

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.65 ¥24.51

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$14.46 ¥97.0

27.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.06 ¥7.13

76.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.62 ¥10.86

80.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.31 ¥2.11

616.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$19.62 ¥132

16.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.02 ¥6.84

197.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.41 ¥2.76

160.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$8.74 ¥58.6

-55.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.24 ¥8.32

20.16%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.3K ¥129.7K

40.39%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$16.6K ¥111.5K

65.14%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$69.0 ¥463

49.03%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$6.93 ¥46.49

58.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$7.91 ¥53.1

121.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$40.49 ¥272

32.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$15.17 ¥102

-26.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.96 ¥39.96

25.50%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$361 ¥2,422

54.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$17.7K ¥118.5K

-32.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$51.1 ¥343

25.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$48.12 ¥323

-39.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$93.1 ¥624

3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$90.5 ¥607

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$291 ¥1,954

150.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$183 ¥1,228

173.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$610 ¥4,091

242.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$375 ¥2,516

222.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,781 ¥18.7K

29.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,722 ¥11.6K

45.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$562 ¥3,768

-10.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.37

65.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Binzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $291 in Binzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Binzhou pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Binzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $221 per month, with Binzhou 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 Binzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Binzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $291 in Binzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $361 in Binzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Binzhou versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Binzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Binzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Binzhou 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 Binzhou 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 Binzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.