Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changshu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Changshu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $713 in Changshu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,130 in Changshu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,548 in Changshu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than in Changshu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Changshu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.71 ¥18.17

68.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$21.58 ¥145

51.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.75 ¥31.88

87.37%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.09 ¥20.76

-9.39%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.46 ¥3.09

91.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.27 ¥1.79

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.96 ¥6.41

148.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.12 ¥14.23

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.79 ¥11.99

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.53 ¥10.30

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.94 ¥6.33

68.09%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.60 ¥10.77

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.00 ¥87.2

53.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.28 ¥22.04

4.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.34 ¥69.4

9.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.80 ¥12.06

63.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.21 ¥8.12

42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.49 ¥10.01

55.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.14 ¥7.63

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.74 ¥4.94

98.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.88 ¥5.93

54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.59 ¥3.97

86.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.52 ¥3.46

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.05 ¥20.46

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$10.68 ¥71.7

72.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.80 ¥5.40

133.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.67 ¥11.19

74.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.29 ¥1.96

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$16.38 ¥110

39.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.36 ¥9.11

122.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.36 ¥2.39

197.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.84 ¥45.89

-42.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.13 ¥7.59

31.86%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.8K ¥132.8K

37.05%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$17.1K ¥114.9K

60.35%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$44.75 ¥300

129.72%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$10.06 ¥67.5

9.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$11.55 ¥77.5

51.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.37 ¥278

29.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.13 ¥94.8

-20.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.75 ¥38.61

30.09%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$333 ¥2,236

67.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$16.8K ¥112.9K

-29.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$43.17 ¥290

48.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$30.34 ¥204

-4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$72.7 ¥488

32.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$72.7 ¥488

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$284 ¥1,905

157.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$195 ¥1,311

155.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$594 ¥3,985

251.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$360 ¥2,414

236.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,059 ¥20.5K

17.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$2,052 ¥13.8K

22.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.89

43.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Changshu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $284 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $199 per month, with Changshu 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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,069 in Changshu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $284 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $713 in Changshu – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $713 in Changshu versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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 Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.