Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chongqing Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chongqing

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Phuket vs $634 in Chongqing, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Phuket vs $1,031 in Chongqing, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Phuket vs $1,429 in Chongqing, rent included.

Phuket costs about 100% more than Chongqing, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Chongqing are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Chongqing 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$2.73 ¥18.66

70.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,490

$21.15 ¥145

119.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿278

$4.98 ¥34.09

74.30%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿94.6

$2.38 ¥16.25

23.95%

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

$0.70 ฿22.43

$0.44 ¥3.00

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.65

$0.29 ¥1.98

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.3

$0.95 ¥6.50

166.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿121

$2.13 ¥14.57

77.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.78 ¥12.16

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.6

$1.25 ¥8.52

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.1

$0.73 ¥4.96

200.00%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.2

$1.86 ¥12.70

24.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿621

$15.87 ¥109

21.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$2.51 ¥17.14

50.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿424

$10.37 ¥70.9

27.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.48 ¥10.11

125.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿52.9

$1.31 ¥8.94

25.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.4

$1.07 ¥7.34

114.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿63.8

$1.13 ¥7.75

76.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.04

$0.65 ¥4.44

135.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.57

$0.90 ¥6.12

67.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.98

$0.54 ¥3.67

90.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.50

$0.63 ¥4.31

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿141

$3.15 ¥21.57

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿623

$8.89 ¥60.8

118.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿57.7

$0.96 ¥6.56

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.0

$1.98 ¥13.55

35.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿45.93

$0.27 ¥1.84

429.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿375

$25.11 ¥172

-53.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.5

$1.41 ¥9.61

115.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.24

$0.30 ¥2.03

246.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿439

$2.71 ¥18.54

404.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.68

$1.11 ¥7.59

17.12%

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

$27.9K ฿895.3K

$18.3K ¥125.4K

52.20%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ¥111.5K

102.60%

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

$123 ฿3,946

$35.98 ¥246

241.77%

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

$13.82 ฿443

$6.04 ¥41.33

128.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿605

$8.45 ¥57.8

123.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,962

$21.73 ¥149

181.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿539

$15.95 ¥109

5.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿285

$5.46 ¥37.31

62.45%

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

$696 ฿22.3K

$331 ¥2,264

110.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿515.3K

$27.4K ¥187.5K

-41.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,902

$29.34 ¥201

102.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,118

$28.75 ¥197

21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,632

$58.5 ¥400

93.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,729

$60.0 ¥410

41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$266 ¥1,818

131.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$158 ¥1,083

183.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿66.9K

$582 ¥3,979

258.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.0K

$324 ¥2,214

362.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿119.8K

$2,569 ¥17.6K

45.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.4K

$1,657 ¥11.3K

60.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.1K

$1,041 ¥7,123

-48.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.74

42.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Phuket versus $266 in Chongqing. 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 95% higher in Chongqing, 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 in Phuket versus $21 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $197 – making Chongqing 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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 100%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Phuket and $951 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $696 per month in Phuket and $331 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Phuket at $1,270. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Chongqing. 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.