Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huizhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Huizhou: $771 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Huizhou, China
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Huizhou
🇨🇳 China
$771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Huizhou

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $771 in Huizhou, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Huizhou $771

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,187 in Huizhou, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Huizhou $1,187

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,603 in Huizhou, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Huizhou $1,603

Phuket costs about 66% more than Huizhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.23 ¥14.83
100.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$17.51 ¥117
85.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$5.18 ¥34.44
70.08%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.94 ¥19.56
-3.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.54 ¥3.61
61.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.29 ¥1.91
68.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.07 ¥7.13
139.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.70 ¥11.31
116.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.77 ¥11.77
-6.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.64 ¥10.91
-10.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.10 ¥7.30
36.36%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.56 ¥10.41
33.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$7.68 ¥51.1
148.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.40 ¥29.28
-25.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.35 ¥82.2
-11.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.77 ¥11.79
65.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.24 ¥8.27
36.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.24 ¥8.28
81.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.41 ¥9.40
47.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.98 ¥6.53
54.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.19 ¥7.92
15.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.68 ¥4.53
57.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.46 ¥3.06
13.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.97 ¥19.76
41.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.56 ¥70.3
77.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.03 ¥6.87
76.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.72 ¥11.44
65.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Huizhou
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
$18.27 ¥122
210.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.02 ¥6.79
196.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.43 ¥2.88
137.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$3.81 ¥25.33
-3.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.20 ¥7.97
22.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$19.2K ¥127.7K
39.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$15.7K ¥104.7K
69.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$49.84 ¥332
93.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$11.61 ¥77.3
-3.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$9.99 ¥66.5
68.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$40.58 ¥270
65.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$15.14 ¥101
-29.13%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.44 ¥42.83
16.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$430 ¥2,864
10.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$21.4K ¥142.2K
-47.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$49.23 ¥328
26.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$41.25 ¥274
-31.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$81.2 ¥540
16.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$69.8 ¥465
22.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$208 ¥1,387
243.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$235 ¥1,567
108.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$394 ¥2,622
389.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$407 ¥2,710
251.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$2,210 ¥14.7K
88.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,212 ¥8,064
151.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Huizhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$868 ¥5,777
-42.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.38
64.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Huizhou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Huizhou
$235 52% $255
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Huizhou
$198 25.5% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Huizhou
$71 42.6% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Huizhou
$109 10.8% $13
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Huizhou
$81 33.7% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Huizhou
$53 35% $29
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Huizhou
$23 68% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $208 in Huizhou. 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 73% higher in Huizhou, 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 $18 in Huizhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $198 – making Huizhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇳 Huizhou
🕒 Local time
20:42 8:42 PM
21:42 9:42 PM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
4,597,002
💱 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 = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Huizhou 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Huizhou

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 Huizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Huizhou compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $771 in Huizhou – Huizhou comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Huizhou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,156 in Huizhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Huizhou?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Huizhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $18 in Huizhou. 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 Huizhou?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $771 in Huizhou. That makes Huizhou about 40% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Huizhou, where all-in costs run around $771, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Huizhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Huizhou?
Families tend to lean toward Huizhou – 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 Huizhou?
For expats, Huizhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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