Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $684 in Bozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,102 in Bozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,521 in Bozhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than in Bozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bozhou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.42 ¥9.58

220.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$20.63 ¥139

123.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.64 ¥31.35

90.52%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.17 ¥21.40

-3.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.39 ¥2.61

87.18%

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

$1.09 ¥7.39

122.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.66 ¥11.18

127.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.15 ¥7.77

96.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.55 ¥10.48

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.90 ¥6.06

150.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.61 ¥10.90

39.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.05 ¥88.2

49.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.24 ¥21.89

12.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.31 ¥69.7

26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.77 ¥11.99

82.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.26 ¥8.49

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.41 ¥9.50

68.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.14 ¥7.68

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.67 ¥4.52

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.89 ¥6.04

68.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.59 ¥4.02

66.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.54 ¥3.67

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.15 ¥21.27

40.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.53 ¥64.4

92.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.74 ¥5.02

151.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.58 ¥10.66

69.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.29 ¥1.96

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$16.81 ¥114

-30.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.95 ¥6.40

227.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.35 ¥2.36

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.72 ¥45.39

109.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.17 ¥7.87

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.1K ¥129.2K

45.43%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.8K ¥113.3K

98.02%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$46.48 ¥314

163.43%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.67 ¥65.4

40.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$6.77 ¥45.72

176.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$42.17 ¥285

43.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.73 ¥92.8

23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.17 ¥41.71

47.00%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$341 ¥2,307

106.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$16.9K ¥114.0K

-6.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.76 ¥289

36.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.86 ¥209

14.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$72.3 ¥489

59.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$73.1 ¥494

14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$281 ¥1,901

122.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$187 ¥1,263

138.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$581 ¥3,927

251.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$361 ¥2,442

312.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,285 ¥22.2K

6.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,848 ¥12.5K

39.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$748 ¥5,054

-33.17%

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 Bozhou: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $281 in Bozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bozhou pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Bozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $190 per month, with Bozhou 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 Bozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bozhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Bozhou. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $281 in Bozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bozhou – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $684 in Bozhou – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $684 in Bozhou versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bozhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bozhou 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 Bozhou 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 Bozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.