Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guiyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guiyang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $724 in Guiyang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,151 in Guiyang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,578 in Guiyang, rent included.

Phuket costs about 75% more than Guiyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Guiyang are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Guiyang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.87 ¥19.40

63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$21.29 ¥144

113.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.89 ¥33.06

72.39%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.06 ¥20.68

-4.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.47 ¥3.17

46.81%

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

$0.95 ¥6.43

153.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.07 ¥14.00

79.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.81 ¥12.25

23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.56 ¥10.58

17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.96 ¥6.50

126.04%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.59 ¥10.72

38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$13.09 ¥88.5

50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.25 ¥21.99

11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.39 ¥70.3

30.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.89 ¥12.76

73.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.24 ¥8.42

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.53 ¥10.37

57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.15 ¥7.80

80.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.75 ¥5.10

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.91 ¥6.18

62.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.60 ¥4.07

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.55 ¥3.72

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.16 ¥21.40

39.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.43 ¥70.5

85.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.74 ¥4.99

140.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.64 ¥11.07

65.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.27 ¥1.81

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$16.82 ¥114

-32.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.43 ¥9.66

111.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.33 ¥2.20

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.54 ¥44.24

115.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.17 ¥7.93

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$19.1K ¥129.0K

47.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥115.2K

93.22%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$45.48 ¥308

167.59%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$9.64 ¥65.2

40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.84 ¥80.1

54.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$41.17 ¥279

46.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$13.81 ¥93.4

24.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$6.09 ¥41.20

42.69%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$328 ¥2,217

111.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

-6.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$44.50 ¥301

33.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$30.21 ¥204

15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$72.7 ¥492

57.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$72.6 ¥491

14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$273 ¥1,847

124.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$195 ¥1,318

124.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$591 ¥3,997

254.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$354 ¥2,394

326.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,048 ¥20.6K

23.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$2,034 ¥13.8K

28.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Guiyang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $273 in Guiyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Guiyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $200 – making Guiyang 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 Guiyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $724 in Guiyang – roughly 75% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,086 in Guiyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $328 in Guiyang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guiyang, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Guiyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $724 in Guiyang to $1,265 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Guiyang. 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.