Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $682 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,093 in Chuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,503 in Chuzhou, rent included.

Phuket costs about 85% more than Chuzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Chuzhou are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Chuzhou 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.08 ¥14.03

115.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$21.31 ¥144

113.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.97 ¥33.56

76.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.07 ¥14.00

43.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.41 ¥2.78

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.26 ¥1.77

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$0.44 ¥2.94

475.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.40 ¥9.48

167.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.43 ¥9.63

50.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.16 ¥14.59

-15.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.76 ¥5.12

186.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.53 ¥10.32

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.32 ¥62.9

114.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.85 ¥19.23

27.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.00 ¥60.8

50.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.23 ¥15.07

45.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.38 ¥9.35

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.64 ¥11.09

42.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.20 ¥8.12

72.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.93 ¥6.30

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.93 ¥6.25

56.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.81 ¥5.45

20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.57 ¥3.87

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.58 ¥24.18

21.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$13.04 ¥88.1

42.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.92 ¥6.22

102.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.56 ¥10.57

69.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$16.61 ¥112

-30.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.56 ¥10.56

103.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.38 ¥2.60

171.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$8.50 ¥57.5

63.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.12 ¥7.59

19.64%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$17.3K ¥117.2K

60.20%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$14.3K ¥96.8K

132.82%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$42.54 ¥287

189.26%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$9.49 ¥64.1

45.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$11.10 ¥75.0

65.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$41.62 ¥281

45.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$13.78 ¥93.1

24.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.49 ¥37.11

61.57%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$409 ¥2,763

68.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$18.5K ¥125.2K

-14.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$43.02 ¥291

37.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$33.37 ¥225

3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$68.2 ¥461

68.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$83.0 ¥561

0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$284 ¥1,916

119.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$189 ¥1,275

136.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$593 ¥4,003

243.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$355 ¥2,400

320.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,061 ¥20.7K

12.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,709 ¥11.5K

48.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $284 in Chuzhou. 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 Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $195 – making Chuzhou 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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 85% more than Chuzhou, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,022 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, 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 $21.00 in Chuzhou. 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 $682 in Chuzhou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Chuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chuzhou costs $682 versus $1,264 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chuzhou. 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.