Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bortala

For one person, living is cheaper in Bortala: $758 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bortala
Learn more

Bortala Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bortala

🇨🇳 China

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bortala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bortala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $758 in Bortala.

Phuket $1,278
Bortala $758

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,168 in Bortala.

Phuket $2,216
Bortala $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,577 in Bortala.

Phuket $3,154
Bortala $1,577

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Bortala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bortala 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.99 ¥19.86

49.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$22.84 ¥152

41.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.86 ¥32.30

81.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.79 ¥18.52

1.43%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.48 ¥3.18

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.32 ¥2.10

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.11 ¥7.38

130.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.16 ¥14.33

70.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.87 ¥12.44

-11.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.59 ¥10.57

-8.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.95 ¥6.29

57.89%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.60 ¥10.66

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$13.42 ¥89.2

42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.36 ¥22.35

-1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.29 ¥75.1

-3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.89 ¥12.53

55.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.34 ¥8.88

26.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.51 ¥10.01

49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.26 ¥8.35

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.75 ¥4.99

101.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.98 ¥6.49

40.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.59 ¥3.95

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.59 ¥3.89

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.71 ¥24.68

13.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$11.52 ¥76.6

63.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.88 ¥5.88

106.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.55 ¥10.30

83.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.28 ¥1.87

417.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$15.99 ¥106

254.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.57 ¥10.46

92.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.32 ¥2.15

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$7.15 ¥47.55

-48.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.17 ¥7.80

25.64%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$19.4K ¥129.0K

38.00%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$15.2K ¥100.8K

75.94%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$57.1 ¥380

68.68%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.48 ¥56.4

32.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$11.13 ¥74.0

51.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$41.95 ¥279

60.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$14.98 ¥99.6

-28.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.53 ¥43.39

14.85%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$453 ¥3,013

5.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$19.3K ¥128.4K

-41.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$42.79 ¥284

45.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$30.92 ¥206

-8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$75.6 ¥503

24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$68.3 ¥454

25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$291 ¥1,932

146.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$214 ¥1,420

129.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$582 ¥3,870

230.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$343 ¥2,280

317.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$3,687 ¥24.5K

13.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,825 ¥12.1K

66.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$625 ¥4,156

-19.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.36

65.77%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bortala: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bortala

$214 28.2% 56.5% $277

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bortala

$210 27.7% 21.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bortala

$77 10.1% 38.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bortala

$98 12.9% 19.7% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bortala

$85 11.2% 30.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bortala

$55 7.3% 33.1% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bortala

$20 2.7% 71.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $291 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bortala pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $210 per month, with Bortala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Bortala

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

246,706

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.45 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bortala 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bortala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $291 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $758 in Bortala – Bortala is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 72% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bortala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.