Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Heyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Heyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $767 in Heyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,200 in Heyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,634 in Heyuan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 65% more than Heyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Heyuan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Heyuan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.73 ¥18.45

72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$15.02 ¥102

202.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.30 ¥29.11

96.05%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$2.15 ¥14.53

36.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.36 ¥2.44

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.22 ¥1.49

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.72 ¥4.90

234.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.64 ¥11.11

126.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.93 ¥13.05

15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$2.09 ¥14.14

-12.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.25 ¥8.48

73.60%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.53 ¥10.33

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$18.77 ¥127

5.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.71 ¥31.84

-22.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$14.21 ¥96.1

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.11 ¥14.26

55.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.26 ¥8.55

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.94 ¥13.10

24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.43 ¥9.68

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.88 ¥5.92

73.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$1.09 ¥7.35

35.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.51 ¥3.48

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.61 ¥4.10

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.88 ¥26.28

13.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.40 ¥70.4

86.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.93 ¥6.28

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.43 ¥9.70

89.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.27 ¥1.82

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$16.77 ¥113

-32.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.63 ¥11.05

85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.38 ¥2.54

160.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.22 ¥42.11

126.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.18 ¥7.99

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$21.2K ¥143.1K

33.32%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.4K ¥131.3K

69.50%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$59.8 ¥405

103.38%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$12.99 ¥87.9

4.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.78 ¥79.7

55.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$42.28 ¥286

42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$13.69 ¥92.6

25.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$6.22 ¥42.08

39.71%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$320 ¥2,165

116.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$16.3K ¥110.0K

-3.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$41.68 ¥282

42.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$27.93 ¥189

24.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$69.3 ¥469

65.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$60.5 ¥409

37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$279 ¥1,888

119.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$191 ¥1,291

128.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$586 ¥3,967

257.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$364 ¥2,464

314.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,117 ¥21.1K

20.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,629 ¥11.0K

60.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$1,327 ¥8,978

-61.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.08

30.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Heyuan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $279 in Heyuan. 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 161% higher in Heyuan, 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Heyuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $249 – making Heyuan 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 Heyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $767 in Heyuan – roughly 65% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,150 in Heyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $15.00 in Heyuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heyuan, where all-in costs run around $767, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Heyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $767 in Heyuan to $1,265 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Heyuan. 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.