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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $670 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,074 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,478 in Chengdu, rent included.

Phuket costs about 84% more than Chengdu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Chengdu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.84 ¥19.42

63.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$24.02 ¥165

95.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.78 ¥32.72

84.94%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.77 ¥19.01

8.30%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.43 ¥2.95

72.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.30 ¥2.08

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.13 ¥7.75

115.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.04 ¥13.97

76.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.82 ¥12.45

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.45 ¥9.92

26.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.92 ¥6.32

143.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.94 ¥13.28

19.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.50 ¥92.5

45.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.52 ¥24.11

3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.22 ¥76.8

16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.92 ¥13.16

76.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.23 ¥8.39

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.49 ¥10.24

61.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.08 ¥7.40

87.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.69 ¥4.75

126.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.71 ¥4.84

111.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.56 ¥3.84

82.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.60 ¥4.14

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.39 ¥23.21

31.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.58 ¥38.20

238.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.00 ¥6.88

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.79 ¥12.26

53.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.43 ¥2.96

225.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$27.53 ¥189

-58.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.28 ¥8.79

143.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.26 ¥1.77

284.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.26 ¥29.16

230.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.18 ¥8.07

14.41%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$18.7K ¥127.9K

45.58%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ¥111.9K

101.46%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$43.81 ¥300

185.28%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.49 ¥78.7

18.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$11.73 ¥80.3

57.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$24.26 ¥166

153.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.27 ¥77.2

49.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.73 ¥39.23

60.38%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$340 ¥2,326

105.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$12.2K ¥83.4K

28.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$37.27 ¥255

54.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$39.16 ¥268

-10.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$65.7 ¥450

72.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$50.4 ¥345

71.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$308 ¥2,112

99.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$181 ¥1,242

145.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$622 ¥4,258

229.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$330 ¥2,263

351.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,887 ¥26.6K

-2.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,045 ¥14.0K

29.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,210 ¥8,287

-56.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $308 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 131% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 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: $1,232 in Phuket, $670 in Chengdu – roughly 84% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,006 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $24.00 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $670 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 $670, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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 $670 in Chengdu to $1,232 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.