Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Handan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Handan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $688 in Handan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,095 in Handan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,501 in Handan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 84% more than Handan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Handan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Handan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.77 ¥11.93

153.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$20.52 ¥139

122.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.29 ¥28.94

104.20%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.99 ¥20.22

-0.67%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.36 ¥2.46

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.27 ¥1.80

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.87 ¥5.89

190.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.12 ¥14.28

76.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.85 ¥12.46

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.54 ¥10.40

18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.94 ¥6.37

131.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.63 ¥11.02

38.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.65 ¥85.4

58.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.10 ¥20.94

17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.07 ¥68.0

34.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.79 ¥12.11

81.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.20 ¥8.13

36.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.37 ¥9.23

70.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.08 ¥7.28

91.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.71 ¥4.82

118.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.91 ¥6.12

60.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.61 ¥4.09

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.55 ¥3.74

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.21 ¥21.67

35.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.93 ¥67.0

87.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.80 ¥5.39

132.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.60 ¥10.79

65.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.27 ¥1.81

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$16.69 ¥113

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.42 ¥9.58

123.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.36 ¥2.41

186.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.72 ¥45.35

106.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.13 ¥7.62

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

45.90%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥114.9K

96.05%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$45.38 ¥306

171.15%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$9.60 ¥64.8

43.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$11.69 ¥78.9

56.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.45 ¥280

46.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.75 ¥92.8

24.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.09 ¥41.13

45.65%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$334 ¥2,256

105.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$17.2K ¥116.4K

-8.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$43.27 ¥292

37.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.57 ¥206

13.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$72.4 ¥489

59.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$74.4 ¥502

12.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$276 ¥1,861

125.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$185 ¥1,247

141.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$583 ¥3,934

248.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$356 ¥2,401

320.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,255 ¥22.0K

6.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,008 ¥13.6K

26.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$639 ¥4,315

-22.77%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Handan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $276 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 29% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Handan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $195 – making Handan 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 Handan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 84%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,033 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $21.00 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $688 in Handan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $688, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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.

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 Handan. 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.