Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $740 in Fuzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,193 in Fuzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,646 in Fuzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Fuzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Fuzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.94 ¥19.72

55.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$23.25 ¥156

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.25 ¥35.24

69.52%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.51 ¥16.85

11.55%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.47 ¥3.15

87.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.29 ¥1.97

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.86 ¥5.75

177.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.73 ¥11.62

114.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.98 ¥13.28

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.41 ¥9.47

2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.98 ¥6.56

61.22%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.62 ¥10.87

31.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.54 ¥50.6

164.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.84 ¥19.06

20.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.44 ¥63.4

20.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.78 ¥11.95

65.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.27 ¥8.50

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.67 ¥11.23

38.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.11 ¥7.42

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.87 ¥5.84

68.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.03 ¥6.91

32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.47 ¥3.12

134.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.49 ¥3.27

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.00 ¥20.16

42.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$11.06 ¥74.2

66.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.76 ¥5.13

146.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.21 ¥8.13

141.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.31 ¥2.11

616.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$24.11 ¥162

-5.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.46 ¥9.83

107.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.31 ¥2.09

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.18 ¥48.19

-45.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.26 ¥8.48

18.25%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.4K ¥130.5K

39.52%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$15.6K ¥104.9K

75.61%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$43.06 ¥289

138.74%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$8.41 ¥56.5

30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$9.10 ¥61.0

92.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$42.05 ¥282

27.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$15.14 ¥102

-26.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$7.42 ¥49.75

0.81%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$208 ¥1,398

167.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$11.7K ¥78.7K

1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$39.49 ¥265

62.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$29.04 ¥195

0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$92.0 ¥617

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$86.1 ¥578

4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$430 ¥2,887

69.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$238 ¥1,597

110.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,037 ¥6,955

101.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$468 ¥3,137

158.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,594 ¥30.8K

-21.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$2,263 ¥15.2K

11.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$992 ¥6,656

-49.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.22

72.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Fuzhou: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $430 in Fuzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fuzhou pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Fuzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $179 per month, with Fuzhou 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 Fuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fuzhou wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fuzhou the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Fuzhou. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $430 in Fuzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Fuzhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $740 in Fuzhou – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $740 in Fuzhou versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fuzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fuzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fuzhou delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $740 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fuzhou hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Fuzhou 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 Fuzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.