Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guizhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guizhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $582 in Guizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $924 in Guizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,266 in Guizhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 117% more expensive than Guizhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Guizhou 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.15 ¥14.58

118.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$19.48 ¥132

132.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.30 ¥35.89

59.06%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.12 ¥21.15

-6.09%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.41 ¥2.75

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.24 ¥1.61

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.68 ¥4.60

254.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.36 ¥9.24

173.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.96 ¥13.27

13.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.35 ¥9.15

35.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.85 ¥5.74

155.29%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.03 ¥13.74

8.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.65 ¥92.5

44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.82 ¥32.63

-24.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.64 ¥72.0

27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.60 ¥10.83

105.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.48 ¥10.02

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.02 ¥6.89

136.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.12 ¥7.60

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.47 ¥3.21

225.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.55 ¥3.70

169.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.51 ¥3.43

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.53 ¥3.57

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.74 ¥18.56

60.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.42 ¥50.3

161.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.74 ¥5.03

140.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.58 ¥17.51

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.34 ¥2.28

302.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.94 ¥115

-32.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.69 ¥11.46

78.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.28 ¥1.92

253.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.86 ¥46.48

105.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.17 ¥7.94

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$13.9K ¥93.9K

103.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$15.4K ¥104.0K

114.30%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$27.34 ¥185

345.14%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.64 ¥38.23

140.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$8.57 ¥58.0

113.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$17.59 ¥119

242.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.88 ¥94.0

23.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.92 ¥46.88

25.58%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$299 ¥2,025

131.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$10.8K ¥72.8K

45.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$34.65 ¥235

71.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$24.45 ¥166

42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$59.9 ¥406

91.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$39.25 ¥266

112.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$278 ¥1,880

120.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$134 ¥910

225.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$357 ¥2,417

486.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$226 ¥1,532

567.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,817 ¥12.3K

106.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,090 ¥7,382

140.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$688 ¥4,660

-26.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.4

56.76%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Guizhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $278 in Guizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guizhou pays 35% 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 $19.00 in Guizhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 per month, with Guizhou 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 Guizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guizhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Guizhou earns 35% 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 $278 in Guizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guizhou runs roughly 49% 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 $299 in Guizhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $582 in Guizhou versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guizhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Guizhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Guizhou 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 Guizhou 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 Guizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.