Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $691 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,088 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,484 in Chengdu, rent included.

Phuket costs about 83% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Chengdu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.84 ¥19.14

57.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$23.43 ¥158

94.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.94 ¥33.34

77.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.79 ¥18.84

6.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.43 ¥2.93

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.30 ¥2.03

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.14 ¥7.67

121.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.11 ¥14.22

77.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.79 ¥12.10

20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.45 ¥9.77

25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$0.91 ¥6.17

139.56%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$1.92 ¥12.96

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$13.62 ¥91.8

46.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.65 ¥24.63

-0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$11.42 ¥77.0

18.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.84 ¥12.39

76.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.23 ¥8.29

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$1.44 ¥9.71

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.06 ¥7.18

95.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.71 ¥4.80

118.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$0.70 ¥4.73

108.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$0.60 ¥4.02

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.57 ¥3.83

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.40 ¥22.91

27.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.44 ¥36.69

241.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$0.94 ¥6.36

97.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$1.88 ¥12.70

40.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.43 ¥2.92

230.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$27.82 ¥188

-58.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.22 ¥8.24

159.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$0.28 ¥1.91

267.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$4.28 ¥28.84

224.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$1.12 ¥7.55

19.64%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$18.7K ¥125.9K

48.94%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥112.4K

100.38%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$44.08 ¥297

179.15%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$11.44 ¥77.2

20.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$11.59 ¥78.2

58.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$23.88 ¥161

154.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$11.59 ¥78.2

48.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.43 ¥36.63

63.35%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$342 ¥2,308

101.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$12.3K ¥82.9K

28.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$36.64 ¥247

61.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$38.88 ¥262

-10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$66.4 ¥448

73.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$51.5 ¥347

62.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$310 ¥2,093

100.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$180 ¥1,215

147.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$611 ¥4,122

232.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$324 ¥2,185

361.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$3,792 ¥25.6K

-8.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$1,909 ¥12.9K

32.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,258 ¥8,484

-60.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.21

26.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $310 in Chengdu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 155% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $23.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $197 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,264 in Phuket, $691 in Chengdu – roughly 83% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,037 in Chengdu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $23.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,264 in Phuket and $691 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $691 in Chengdu to $1,264 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.