Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chaozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chaozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Phuket versus $642 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,023 in Phuket versus $1,041 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Chaozhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 94% more expensive than in Chaozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Chaozhou 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ฿147

$2.26 ¥15.13

93.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.87 ฿1,103

$23.83 ¥160

37.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 ฿282

$3.61 ¥24.18

132.41%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.8

$1.47 ¥9.85

85.71%

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

$0.88 ฿29.59

$0.45 ¥3.02

95.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.92

$0.29 ¥1.92

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$1.21 ¥8.12

95.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.97 ¥19.94

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ฿61.5

$1.45 ¥9.70

26.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.58

$1.51 ¥10.09

-3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.74 ¥4.94

113.51%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.4

$1.15 ¥7.69

82.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.37 ฿650

$9.65 ¥64.7

100.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿115

$2.53 ¥16.94

35.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ฿368

$12.11 ¥81.2

-9.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ฿101

$2.28 ¥15.32

31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.9

$0.85 ¥5.68

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.1

$0.90 ¥6.04

145.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.2

$1.83 ¥12.27

15.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.34

$0.61 ¥4.10

140.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.37

$0.46 ¥3.11

186.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.93

$0.44 ¥2.95

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$0.29 ¥1.92

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$3.03 ¥20.33

44.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 ฿624

$11.39 ¥76.3

63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ฿58.6

$0.74 ¥4.94

136.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿95.8

$1.16 ¥7.75

146.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.31 ¥2.10

629.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿771

$18.66 ¥125

23.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 ฿98.7

$0.93 ¥6.27

216.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.84

$0.29 ¥1.94

268.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$7.13 ¥47.80

-46.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿48.96

$1.17 ¥7.84

24.79%

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

$27.2K ฿912.2K

$19.4K ¥130.4K

39.81%

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

$26.6K ฿893.5K

$17.7K ¥118.4K

50.79%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$44.02 ¥295

131.60%

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

$10.96 ฿368

$4.22 ¥28.28

159.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 ฿567

$11.21 ¥75.2

50.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 ฿1,758

$41.19 ¥276

27.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 ฿367

$14.58 ¥97.7

-25.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ฿252

$6.45 ¥43.25

16.59%

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

$547 ฿18.3K

$496 ¥3,326

10.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.5K

$24.3K ¥163.1K

-53.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ฿2,122

$13.19 ¥88.4

379.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.23 ฿981

$27.68 ¥186

5.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 ฿3,282

$90.7 ¥608

7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 ฿2,909

$58.6 ¥393

48.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$283 ¥1,896

154.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ฿16.0K

$185 ¥1,242

157.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 ฿69.8K

$613 ¥4,111

239.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 ฿40.1K

$372 ¥2,491

221.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,577 ฿120.0K

$3,103 ¥20.8K

15.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 ฿85.3K

$1,944 ¥13.0K

30.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$489 ฿16.4K

$494 ¥3,309

-0.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 28, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $283 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaozhou pays 1% 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 $24.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $181 per month, with Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Chaozhou differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,243 vs $642 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Chaozhou. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $283 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Phuket versus $496 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $642 in Chaozhou versus $1,243 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.