Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hohhot Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hohhot

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $701 in Hohhot, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $1,119 in Hohhot, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $1,537 in Hohhot, rent included.

Phuket costs about 78% more than Hohhot, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Hohhot are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 7% lower, Hohhot 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.81 ¥19.22

63.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,500

$21.16 ¥145

121.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$8.02 ¥54.8

8.48%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$3.34 ¥22.81

-12.57%

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

$0.68 ฿21.90

$0.46 ¥3.14

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.69

$0.29 ¥1.98

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.3

$0.88 ¥5.99

185.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.64 ¥18.00

43.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$2.51 ¥17.14

-13.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.16 ¥7.92

62.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.1

$1.09 ¥7.46

98.17%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.1

$1.32 ¥9.03

68.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$12.29 ¥83.9

59.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.10 ¥21.18

22.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$12.08 ¥82.5

11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.41 ¥9.66

131.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.6

$0.94 ¥6.45

71.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿73.9

$1.43 ¥9.76

61.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿65.9

$0.51 ¥3.50

303.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$0.62 ¥4.26

159.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.23

$0.92 ¥6.26

56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.99

$0.61 ¥4.20

68.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.38

$0.46 ¥3.14

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.17 ¥21.65

41.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿614

$10.54 ¥72.0

81.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.75 ¥5.15

142.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.44 ¥9.85

86.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.13

$0.14 ¥0.94

885.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.48 ¥113

-28.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.5

$1.09 ¥7.42

185.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.16

$0.22 ¥1.51

354.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿440

$6.59 ¥45.00

108.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.58

$1.19 ¥8.13

9.24%

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

$27.4K ฿876.5K

$19.5K ¥133.5K

39.94%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥113.9K

97.96%

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

$125 ฿4,001

$37.90 ¥259

229.50%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$9.86 ¥67.3

39.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿596

$11.59 ¥79.2

60.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,940

$31.04 ¥212

95.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

$13.82 ¥94.4

24.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$4.73 ¥32.31

90.49%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$338 ¥2,310

106.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.2K

$17.1K ¥116.7K

-5.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,897

$54.9 ¥375

7.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,117

$23.89 ¥163

45.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,659

$75.7 ¥517

50.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,749

$75.1 ¥513

14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$191 ¥1,305

223.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$188 ¥1,286

131.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$595 ¥4,062

248.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$356 ¥2,428

324.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

$3,208 ¥21.9K

17.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

$1,151 ¥7,864

133.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$810 ¥5,532

-34.76%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Hohhot: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $191 in Hohhot. 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 53% higher in Hohhot, 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 $47 in Phuket versus $21 in Hohhot. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $195 – making Hohhot 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 Hohhot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,247 in Phuket, $701 in Hohhot – roughly 78% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,870 per month in Phuket and $1,051 in Hohhot. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 49% 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $21.00 in Hohhot. 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 Hohhot, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Phuket at $1,247. In Hohhot 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 $701 in Hohhot to $1,247 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 Hohhot. 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.