Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chenzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chenzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $734 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,164 in Chenzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,594 in Chenzhou, rent included.

Phuket costs about 72% more than Chenzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Chenzhou are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Chenzhou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.73 ¥18.46

64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$20.92 ¥141

117.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.94 ¥33.36

77.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.36 ¥9.17

118.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.45 ¥3.07

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.25 ¥1.68

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.12 ¥7.58

125.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.85 ¥12.47

102.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$2.00 ¥13.49

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.25 ¥15.19

-19.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.73 ¥4.94

198.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.59 ¥10.77

41.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$16.07 ¥109

24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.20 ¥21.60

13.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$8.91 ¥60.2

52.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$0.54 ¥3.66

500.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.09 ¥7.36

50.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.72 ¥4.89

223.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.14 ¥7.68

81.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.96 ¥6.48

61.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.36 ¥9.19

7.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.47 ¥3.16

108.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.40 ¥2.69

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.82 ¥19.06

54.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$12.54 ¥84.7

48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.95 ¥6.43

95.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.46 ¥9.88

81.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.29 ¥1.96

389.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$16.61 ¥112

-30.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.23 ¥8.30

157.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.28 ¥1.91

267.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$8.16 ¥55.2

70.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.14 ¥7.70

17.54%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.0K ¥142.1K

32.13%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.3K ¥150.5K

49.78%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$44.10 ¥298

179.02%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$12.48 ¥84.3

10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$14.73 ¥99.5

24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$41.30 ¥279

46.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$14.01 ¥94.6

22.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.97 ¥40.34

48.58%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$313 ¥2,117

119.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$7,518 ¥50.8K

109.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$84.5 ¥571

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$31.29 ¥211

10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$81.3 ¥549

41.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$70.8 ¥478

18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$280 ¥1,889

122.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$191 ¥1,290

133.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$596 ¥4,024

241.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$358 ¥2,418

317.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,393 ¥22.9K

1.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,783 ¥12.0K

41.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chenzhou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $280 in Chenzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Chenzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $206 – making Chenzhou 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 Chenzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,264 in Phuket, $734 in Chenzhou – roughly 72% 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 $1,101 in Chenzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 44% less in Chenzhou. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Phuket and $313 in Chenzhou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chenzhou, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Chenzhou 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 $734 in Chenzhou 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 Chenzhou. 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.