Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hefei Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hefei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $735 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,184 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,634 in Hefei.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than Hefei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hefei 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.44 ¥23.30

36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$16.83 ¥114

169.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.15 ¥28.08

103.13%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.35 ¥15.89

24.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.47 ¥3.19

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.23 ¥1.56

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.82 ¥5.58

193.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.11 ¥14.29

76.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.69 ¥11.43

31.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.61 ¥10.91

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.20 ¥8.11

80.83%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.91 ¥12.93

15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.60 ¥58.2

129.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.07 ¥27.57

-10.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.92 ¥67.1

36.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.80 ¥12.16

82.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.82 ¥5.57

96.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.28 ¥8.63

88.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.83 ¥5.59

150.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.60 ¥4.09

155.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.49 ¥3.29

202.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.53 ¥3.59

86.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.56 ¥3.76

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.81 ¥19.01

56.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.50 ¥64.3

104.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.72 ¥4.86

147.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.64 ¥11.13

65.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.33 ¥2.25

315.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$41.14 ¥278

-72.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.34 ¥9.08

125.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.26 ¥1.74

280.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.54 ¥17.21

455.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.15 ¥7.81

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$19.6K ¥132.4K

44.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

71.68%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$40.99 ¥277

196.90%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.86 ¥87.1

5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$13.70 ¥92.7

33.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$82.8 ¥561

-27.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.49 ¥84.6

37.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.81 ¥39.33

49.57%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$257 ¥1,742

169.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,920 ¥60.4K

75.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$57.9 ¥392

2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.23 ¥205

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$60.9 ¥412

88.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$74.5 ¥504

11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$229 ¥1,547

168.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$180 ¥1,220

142.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$484 ¥3,276

332.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$366 ¥2,479

312.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$3,744 ¥25.3K

0.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,044 ¥13.8K

27.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$962 ¥6,512

-47.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.37

21.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hefei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $229 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 89% 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 $17.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $182 per month, with Hefei 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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hefei earns 89% 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 $229 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $735 in Hefei – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $735 in Hefei versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hefei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $735 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hefei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.