Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dongguan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dongguan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $752 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,177 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,602 in Dongguan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Dongguan 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.47 ¥16.70

84.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$20.71 ¥140

122.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.37 ¥29.54

102.29%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.61 ¥17.65

17.24%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.42 ¥2.83

73.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.27 ¥1.80

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.12 ¥7.56

116.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.18 ¥14.74

73.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.68 ¥11.37

34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.47 ¥9.95

23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.97 ¥6.55

131.96%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.79 ¥12.13

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.82 ¥86.6

52.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.01 ¥27.08

-8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.29 ¥76.3

15.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.88 ¥12.72

71.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 ¥9.57

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.82 ¥12.30

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.35 ¥9.09

50.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.96 ¥6.46

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.45 ¥9.77

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.62 ¥4.20

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.60 ¥4.02

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.85 ¥19.27

55.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$14.93 ¥101

22.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.95 ¥6.40

95.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.90 ¥12.86

41.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.27 ¥1.80

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$21.26 ¥144

-44.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.22 ¥8.27

154.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.34 ¥2.31

205.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.43 ¥36.70

159.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.18 ¥7.98

11.02%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$21.2K ¥143.2K

31.25%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ¥139.9K

60.42%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$62.5 ¥422

96.00%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.57 ¥57.9

58.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$12.21 ¥82.5

53.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$59.8 ¥404

1.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.34 ¥90.2

27.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.11 ¥48.02

27.57%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$451 ¥3,046

56.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$20.5K ¥138.6K

-22.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$29.95 ¥202

95.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$24.56 ¥166

43.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$61.6 ¥416

87.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$37.54 ¥254

123.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$355 ¥2,399

76.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$214 ¥1,447

107.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$679 ¥4,585

200.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$412 ¥2,787

261.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$5,717 ¥38.6K

-39.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,004 ¥20.3K

-14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$846 ¥5,716

-40.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.04

31.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $355 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $221 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Dongguan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $355 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 82% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $451 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $752 in Dongguan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.