Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Heze

For one person, living is cheaper in Heze: $699 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Heze, China
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Heze
🇨🇳 China
$699
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Heze

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $699 in Heze, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Heze $699

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,074 in Heze, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Heze $1,074

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,450 in Heze, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Heze $1,450

Phuket costs about 83% more than Heze, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.61 ¥17.31
71.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$11.04 ¥73.4
193.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.89 ¥32.49
80.16%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.72 ¥18.05
4.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.43 ¥2.84
102.33%
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
$0.87 ¥5.77
194.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.96 ¥12.99
87.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.50 ¥9.97
10.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.42 ¥9.41
2.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.19 ¥7.89
26.05%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.10 ¥7.34
90.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$11.88 ¥79.0
60.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$3.19 ¥21.18
3.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$11.17 ¥74.2
-2.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.46 ¥9.67
100.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.06 ¥7.03
59.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.42 ¥9.44
58.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.15 ¥7.65
80.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.63 ¥4.19
139.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.74 ¥4.90
86.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.57 ¥3.77
87.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.66 ¥4.38
-21.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.84 ¥25.50
9.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$9.82 ¥65.2
91.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$0.68 ¥4.49
167.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.33 ¥8.82
113.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Heze
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.29 ¥1.92
400.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$19.06 ¥127
197.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.03 ¥6.87
193.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.25 ¥1.65
308.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$4.56 ¥30.30
-19.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.01 ¥6.72
45.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$19.6K ¥130.1K
36.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$15.2K ¥100.7K
76.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$71.5 ¥475
34.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$6.77 ¥45.01
66.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$5.11 ¥33.95
229.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$41.89 ¥278
60.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.02 ¥86.5
-17.59%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.34 ¥35.46
40.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$219 ¥1,452
117.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$19.7K ¥130.9K
-42.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$34.18 ¥227
82.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$42.32 ¥281
-32.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$60.8 ¥404
55.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$52.4 ¥348
63.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Heze
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$284 ¥1,887
152.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$188 ¥1,250
160.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$611 ¥4,059
215.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$364 ¥2,420
292.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$3,238 ¥21.5K
28.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,983 ¥13.2K
53.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Heze
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$595 ¥3,953
-15.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.13
77.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Heze: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Heze
$188 61.7% $303
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Heze
$188 29.5% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Heze
$83 33% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Heze
$85 30% $37
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Heze
$79 35.1% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Heze
$53 36.1% $30
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Heze
$22 68.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $284 in Heze. 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 18% higher in Heze, 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 $11 in Heze. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $188 – making Heze the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇳 Heze
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
21:31 9:31 PM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
8,795,939
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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 = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Heze 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Heze

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 Heze: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Heze compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $699 in Heze – Heze comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Heze?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,048 in Heze. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Heze?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Heze, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $284 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $11 in Heze. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Heze?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $699 in Heze. That makes Heze about 45% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Heze, where all-in costs run around $699, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Heze it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Heze?
Families tend to lean toward Heze – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Heze?
For expats, Heze is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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