Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Foshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Foshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $753 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,687 in Foshan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than Foshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.22 ¥21.80

45.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$22.60 ¥153

100.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.99 ¥33.76

68.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.16 ¥21.42

-7.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.46 ¥3.10

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.28 ¥1.87

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.09 ¥7.38

121.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.65 ¥11.19

125.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.79 ¥12.14

24.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.96 ¥13.24

-6.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.22 ¥8.28

77.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.87 ¥12.66

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.00 ¥88.0

51.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.86 ¥26.13

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.38 ¥90.6

1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.81 ¥12.25

81.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.27 ¥8.57

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.73 ¥11.70

39.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.40 ¥9.48

48.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.00 ¥6.79

53.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.05 ¥7.08

40.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.70 ¥4.71

41.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.61 ¥4.11

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.55 ¥24.06

24.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.24 ¥69.3

89.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.96 ¥6.51

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.40 ¥9.48

93.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.27 ¥1.81

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.02 ¥74.6

3.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.71 ¥11.58

76.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.35 ¥2.35

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.93 ¥46.91

103.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.17 ¥7.92

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.3K ¥144.1K

32.44%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.6K ¥132.4K

68.27%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$65.1 ¥441

86.86%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.20 ¥69.1

33.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$12.90 ¥87.3

41.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$66.9 ¥453

-9.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$20.34 ¥138

-15.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.22 ¥42.10

39.71%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$415 ¥2,809

67.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$18.2K ¥123.2K

-13.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$42.80 ¥290

39.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.67 ¥194

21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$70.5 ¥477

62.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$77.9 ¥527

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$280 ¥1,894

119.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$142 ¥958

208.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$580 ¥3,927

260.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$313 ¥2,119

382.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,353 ¥29.5K

-13.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,819 ¥12.3K

43.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$793 ¥5,367

-35.92%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Foshan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $280 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $222 per month, with Foshan 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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Foshan earns 56% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $280 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 3% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $753 in Foshan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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 Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.