Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hefei

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $768 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
Learn more

Hefei Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hefei

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 Hefei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $768 in Hefei.

Phuket $1,208
Hefei $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,225 in Hefei.

Phuket $2,027
Hefei $1,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,681 in Hefei.

Phuket $2,845
Hefei $1,681

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than in Hefei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Hefei 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$2.58 ¥17.28

70.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$22.44 ¥150

43.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.36 ¥29.18

100.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.75 ¥18.39

2.91%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.49 ¥3.26

83.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.27 ¥1.80

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.06 ¥7.09

140.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.00 ¥13.35

91.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.62 ¥10.84

6.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.06 ¥13.75

-28.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.81 ¥5.42

86.42%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.92 ¥12.84

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$14.10 ¥94.3

39.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.90 ¥32.76

-31.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.57 ¥77.3

-3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.31 ¥15.45

23.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.72 ¥11.52

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.64 ¥10.95

33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.61 ¥10.79

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.80 ¥5.37

81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.94 ¥6.26

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.79 ¥5.26

35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.70 ¥4.70

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.08 ¥20.59

38.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$12.16 ¥81.3

52.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.93 ¥6.21

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.99 ¥13.28

43.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.31 ¥2.09

629.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$45.22 ¥302

-51.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.23 ¥8.21

144.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.33 ¥2.20

221.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$3.51 ¥23.48

9.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.33 ¥8.91

9.02%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

38.38%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$16.9K ¥112.9K

59.51%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$48.54 ¥325

98.56%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$9.54 ¥63.8

15.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$12.08 ¥80.8

41.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$15.66 ¥105

233.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$15.31 ¥102

-27.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.41 ¥42.85

21.84%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$236 ¥1,581

135.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$8,656 ¥57.9K

33.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$89.7 ¥600

-28.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$32.76 ¥219

-12.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$62.7 ¥419

52.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$96.9 ¥648

-9.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$241 ¥1,609

206.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$179 ¥1,197

158.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$532 ¥3,558

293.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$340 ¥2,270

253.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$3,573 ¥23.9K

-2.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,975 ¥13.2K

27.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,011 ¥6,763

-50.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.15

76.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hefei: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Hefei

$179 23.3% 61.3% $283

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Hefei

$235 30.6% 12.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Hefei

$70 9.1% 43.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Hefei

$127 16.5% 2.1% $2.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Hefei

$79 10.3% 34.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Hefei

$28 3.7% 58% $39

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Hefei

$49 6.4% 25.1% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $241 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $235 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Hefei

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

9,369,881

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Hefei 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hefei

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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 57% 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, salaries run 102% lower in Hefei. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $241 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 $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $768 in Hefei – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $768 in Hefei versus $1,208 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 $768 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.