Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huai'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huai'an

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $729 in Huai'an, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,127 in Huai'an, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $1,526 in Huai'an, rent included.

Phuket costs about 72% more than Huai'an, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Huai'an are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Huai'an 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.83 ¥19.01

61.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$21.93 ¥147

48.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.81 ¥32.28

85.03%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.06 ¥20.50

-8.50%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.44 ¥2.93

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.27 ¥1.80

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.93 ¥6.24

156.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.04 ¥13.66

81.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.84 ¥12.35

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.56 ¥10.44

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.91 ¥6.12

73.63%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.59 ¥10.65

33.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.98 ¥87.1

53.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.13 ¥20.98

9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.02 ¥67.2

13.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.79 ¥12.00

64.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.24 ¥8.35

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.47 ¥9.89

57.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.14 ¥7.64

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.74 ¥5.00

98.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.94 ¥6.33

44.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.57 ¥3.81

92.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.54 ¥3.65

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.14 ¥21.08

35.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$10.76 ¥72.2

71.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.76 ¥5.07

146.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.64 ¥11.03

78.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.29 ¥1.95

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$16.74 ¥112

36.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.37 ¥9.19

121.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.35 ¥2.36

205.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.61 ¥44.34

-40.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.17 ¥7.86

27.35%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.5K ¥131.1K

38.88%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$16.9K ¥113.7K

62.05%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$45.76 ¥307

124.65%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$10.02 ¥67.3

9.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$11.54 ¥77.5

51.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.54 ¥279

28.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$13.88 ¥93.1

-19.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.02 ¥40.42

24.25%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$328 ¥2,200

69.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$16.7K ¥112.3K

-29.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$44.11 ¥296

45.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$30.70 ¥206

-5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$72.9 ¥489

31.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$71.4 ¥479

26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$280 ¥1,879

160.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$194 ¥1,302

157.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$597 ¥4,005

250.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$367 ¥2,462

229.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,084 ¥20.7K

16.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,996 ¥13.4K

25.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.89

43.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Huai'an: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $280 in Huai'an. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Huai'an. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $198 – making Huai'an 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 Huai'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 72%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,093 in Huai'an. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $33.00 in Phuket and $22.00 in Huai'an. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Huai'an, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Huai'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Huai'an – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Huai'an. 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.