Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Datong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Datong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $718 in Datong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,141 in Datong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,564 in Datong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than Datong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Datong 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.84 ¥19.25

65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,491

$21.18 ¥144

114.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$4.73 ¥32.08

78.22%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.3

$2.97 ¥20.13

-1.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.46 ¥3.13

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.07

$0.29 ¥1.98

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.2

$0.88 ¥5.96

173.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.07 ¥14.01

79.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.4

$1.86 ¥12.60

19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.2

$1.54 ¥10.44

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.3

$0.89 ¥6.02

143.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.8

$1.53 ¥10.39

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿649

$12.70 ¥86.1

55.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.10 ¥21.03

17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿445

$10.35 ¥70.2

30.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$1.86 ¥12.59

76.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.26 ¥8.56

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.2

$1.48 ¥10.06

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$1.10 ¥7.45

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.3

$0.70 ¥4.75

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.67

$0.95 ¥6.42

55.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.50

$0.61 ¥4.12

62.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.78

$0.51 ¥3.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$3.09 ¥20.94

42.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿637

$10.74 ¥72.9

80.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.5

$0.76 ¥5.14

134.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.1

$1.61 ¥10.90

68.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿45.07

$0.29 ¥1.97

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿375

$16.99 ¥115

-32.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.3

$1.35 ¥9.18

123.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.69

$0.35 ¥2.38

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$6.54 ¥44.39

115.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.18 ¥8.00

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿927.0K

$19.4K ¥131.4K

45.53%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ¥114.8K

94.47%

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

$122 ฿4,000

$45.90 ¥311

165.14%

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

$13.57 ฿446

$9.91 ¥67.2

36.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿602

$11.87 ¥80.5

54.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,979

$41.85 ¥284

43.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿563

$13.71 ¥93.0

25.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿286

$6.09 ¥41.27

42.69%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$328 ¥2,223

111.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿515.6K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-7.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,957

$44.31 ¥301

34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,143

$30.17 ¥205

15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,767

$72.2 ¥490

58.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,738

$71.2 ¥483

16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.2K

$281 ¥1,907

118.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.4K

$196 ¥1,332

122.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.8K

$593 ¥4,025

252.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.6K

$359 ¥2,437

320.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.2K

$3,073 ¥20.8K

21.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿86.0K

$2,047 ¥13.9K

27.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Datong: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $281 in Datong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Datong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $198 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

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 Datong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,077 in Datong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $281 in Datong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $328 in Datong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Datong versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Datong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Datong delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $718 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Datong hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Datong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.