Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gongzhuling Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gongzhuling

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $584 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $913 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,291 per month in Phuket vs $1,243 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Phuket costs about 116% more than Gongzhuling, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Gongzhuling are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Gongzhuling 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$1.91 ¥12.89

137.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,563

$15.28 ¥103

203.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$4.14 ¥28.03

108.94%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.77 ¥11.95

74.58%

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

$0.68 ฿22.86

$0.43 ¥2.94

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$0.22 ¥1.49

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$0.67 ¥4.52

261.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$1.55 ¥10.51

145.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.22 ¥8.28

78.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.89 ¥12.79

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$0.99 ¥6.72

120.20%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$1.10 ¥7.44

103.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿672

$7.14 ¥48.33

179.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$2.79 ¥18.89

30.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$8.25 ¥55.8

64.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$0.59 ¥3.96

457.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.66 ¥4.44

156.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.7

$0.51 ¥3.45

356.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$0.44 ¥2.98

361.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.41 ¥2.76

290.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.51 ¥3.42

192.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.13

$0.43 ¥2.91

134.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.07

$0.58 ¥3.91

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$3.05 ¥20.66

45.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$10.32 ¥69.8

80.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$0.73 ¥4.94

145.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

$0.89 ¥6.04

214.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.84

$0.29 ¥1.97

389.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$16.99 ¥115

-33.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.07 ¥7.21

188.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.15

$0.35 ¥2.38

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$2.56 ¥17.35

432.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.18

$1.14 ¥7.70

14.91%

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

$27.3K ฿919.6K

$18.1K ¥122.4K

50.82%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$15.2K ¥102.9K

118.32%

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

$123 ฿4,152

$26.36 ¥178

367.22%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$5.68 ¥38.43

143.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$9.55 ¥64.6

93.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,035

$41.01 ¥277

47.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$13.67 ¥92.5

22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$4.75 ¥32.16

87.16%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$378 ¥2,558

81.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.2K

$10.8K ¥73.1K

43.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,943

$15.09 ¥102

281.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$20.90 ¥141

65.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,874

$69.8 ¥472

64.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,862

$41.21 ¥279

106.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$278 ¥1,883

121.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$185 ¥1,255

138.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$586 ¥3,962

249.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$363 ¥2,454

315.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.3K

$3,105 ¥21.0K

14.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,888 ¥12.8K

33.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$341 ¥2,308

47.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.5

52.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Gongzhuling: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $618 in Phuket versus $278 in Gongzhuling. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Gongzhuling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $148 – making Gongzhuling 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 Gongzhuling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 116%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $876 in Gongzhuling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gongzhuling, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $687 per month in Phuket and $378 in Gongzhuling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $584, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Gongzhuling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongzhuling – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Gongzhuling. 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.