Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guilin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guilin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $669 in Guilin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,081 in Guilin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,493 in Guilin, rent included.

Phuket costs about 89% more than Guilin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Guilin are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Guilin 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.14 ¥27.98

13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$18.72 ¥127

142.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.42 ¥23.15

146.49%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$2.72 ¥18.38

7.72%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.69 ¥4.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.27 ¥1.82

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.02 ¥6.91

136.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.04 ¥13.82

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.37 ¥9.27

62.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.43 ¥9.68

27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.63 ¥4.25

244.44%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.69 ¥11.43

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$12.92 ¥87.4

52.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.19 ¥21.58

13.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$8.14 ¥55.0

66.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.77 ¥11.98

85.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.22 ¥8.24

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.37 ¥9.27

75.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.08 ¥7.31

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.72 ¥4.89

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.96 ¥6.51

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.59 ¥4.01

67.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.94 ¥6.37

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.11 ¥21.04

41.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$11.42 ¥77.2

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.87 ¥5.92

104.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.59 ¥10.78

70.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.27 ¥1.81

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$16.49 ¥112

-30.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$0.93 ¥6.29

224.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.31 ¥2.08

219.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.74 ¥45.57

109.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.13 ¥7.62

20.35%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

46.95%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ¥114.4K

94.62%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$27.83 ¥188

337.30%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$4.97 ¥33.63

173.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.52 ¥77.9

58.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$42.22 ¥286

42.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$13.74 ¥92.9

24.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$4.08 ¥27.57

112.99%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$340 ¥2,298

104.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$17.0K ¥115.1K

-7.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$43.10 ¥292

38.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$30.82 ¥209

12.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$72.7 ¥492

57.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$74.1 ¥501

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$279 ¥1,886

119.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$191 ¥1,290

129.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$582 ¥3,936

259.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$355 ¥2,399

325.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$1,329 ¥8,988

182.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,715 ¥11.6K

52.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$479 ¥3,240

6.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Guilin: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $279 in Guilin. 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 6% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $19.00 in Guilin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $192 – making Guilin 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 Guilin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 89%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,003 in Guilin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $19.00 in Guilin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $669 in Guilin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guilin, where all-in costs run around $669, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Guilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guilin – 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 Guilin. 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.