Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Handan

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
Learn more

Handan Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Handan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Handan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $691 in Handan, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Handan $691

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,040 in Handan, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Handan $1,040

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,390 in Handan, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Handan $1,390

Phuket costs about 85% more than Handan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Handan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.83 ¥12.16

144.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$17.67 ¥118

83.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.45 ¥29.62

97.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.68 ¥17.82

5.60%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.42 ¥2.82

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.23 ¥1.53

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.71 ¥4.75

260.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.48 ¥9.83

148.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.52 ¥10.10

9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.73 ¥4.86

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.73 ¥4.88

105.48%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.98 ¥6.49

113.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.99 ¥79.8

59.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.97 ¥19.77

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.18 ¥74.4

-2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.41 ¥9.39

107.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.63 ¥4.17

168.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.44 ¥9.57

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.14 ¥7.61

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.31 ¥2.08

387.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.31 ¥2.06

345.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.56 ¥3.75

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.38 ¥2.54

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.74 ¥24.86

12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.07 ¥67.0

86.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.70 ¥4.69

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.36 ¥9.04

108.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.31 ¥2.08

367.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$18.24 ¥121

210.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.94 ¥6.25

221.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.27 ¥1.81

277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.44 ¥29.52

-16.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.32 ¥8.75

11.36%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$19.5K ¥129.9K

37.11%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$14.9K ¥99.0K

79.37%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$73.0 ¥486

32.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.58 ¥30.47

145.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$5.09 ¥33.88

231.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$41.16 ¥274

63.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$17.11 ¥114

-37.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.40 ¥29.30

70.45%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$213 ¥1,419

123.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$19.9K ¥132.5K

-43.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$30.04 ¥200

107.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$42.53 ¥283

-33.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$45.47 ¥303

107.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$69.3 ¥461

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$294 ¥1,955

143.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$212 ¥1,413

131.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$660 ¥4,395

191.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$338 ¥2,246

323.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,801 ¥18.6K

49.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,092 ¥13.9K

45.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$651 ¥4,331

-22.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Handan

$212 30.7% 56.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Handan

$171 24.7% 35.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Handan

$83 12% 33.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Handan

$84 12.2% 30.8% $38

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Handan

$69 10% 43.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Handan

$50 7.2% 39.2% $32

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Handan

$22 3.2% 69.1% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $294 in Handan. 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 30% higher in Handan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $18 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $171 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Handan

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

9,413,990

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Handan 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Handan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,037 in Handan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $18 in Handan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $691 in Handan. That makes Handan about 46% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Handan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.