Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Huzhou: $815 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Huzhou
🇨🇳 China
$815
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Huzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $815 in Huzhou.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Huzhou $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,338 in Huzhou.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Huzhou $1,338

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,861 in Huzhou.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Huzhou $1,861

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Huzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Huzhou 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿148
$4.58 ¥30.58
-3.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,089
$30.24 ¥202
6.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿296
$5.09 ¥33.93
72.10%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.30 ¥22.02
-14.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.43
$0.62 ¥4.12
45.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.71
$0.35 ¥2.36
34.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿86.0
$1.23 ¥8.19
107.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿129
$2.19 ¥14.59
74.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿58.2
$1.84 ¥12.27
-5.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.58
$2.00 ¥13.34
-26.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.1
$0.98 ¥6.57
54.08%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$1.67 ¥11.14
29.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿665
$17.31 ¥115
13.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿113
$3.20 ¥21.35
4.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿377
$12.91 ¥86.1
-13.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$2.22 ¥14.79
28.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$1.74 ¥11.64
-2.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$1.97 ¥13.13
11.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿69.0
$1.67 ¥11.17
22.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.80 ¥5.36
81.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.60
$0.98 ¥6.55
40.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿36.04
$0.62 ¥4.15
72.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.07
$0.58 ¥3.89
-12.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿144
$3.80 ¥25.36
12.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿627
$10.93 ¥72.9
69.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿60.2
$0.88 ¥5.87
102.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿96.1
$1.54 ¥10.27
85.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿76.3
$0.29 ¥1.91
679.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿746
$18.52 ¥124
19.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿102
$2.12 ¥14.13
41.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.68
$0.43 ¥2.90
146.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿130
$9.12 ¥60.9
-57.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.91
$1.34 ¥8.95
8.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.3K
$19.7K ¥131.3K
33.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.1K
$17.9K ¥119.7K
50.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$58.6 ¥391
64.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿372
$8.07 ¥53.9
36.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿578
$10.71 ¥71.4
60.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,760
$38.06 ¥254
37.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿376
$16.73 ¥112
-33.29%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿263
$9.00 ¥60.1
-13.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.8K
$394 ¥2,625
41.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿390.7K
$27.8K ¥185.5K
-58.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,166
$55.0 ¥367
16.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿968
$37.51 ¥250
-23.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,217
$74.7 ¥498
27.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,968
$107 ¥714
-17.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.9K
$299 ¥1,997
146.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.6K
$191 ¥1,275
141.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.7K
$606 ¥4,044
245.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.5K
$411 ¥2,742
192.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿117.7K
$3,370 ¥22.5K
3.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿85.1K
$1,908 ¥12.7K
32.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Huzhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.9K
$1,184 ¥7,898
-57.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.36
65.77%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Huzhou: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Huzhou
$191 58.7% $271
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Huzhou
$237 11.9% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Huzhou
$77 37.9% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Huzhou
$123 0.7% $0.9
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Huzhou
$106 12.6% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Huzhou
$56 17.3% $12
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Huzhou
$24 39.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $299 in Huzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huzhou pays 136% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Huzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $237 per month, with Huzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇳 Huzhou
🕒 Local time
21:24 9:24 PM
22:24 10:24 PM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
2,893,542
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.93 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Huzhou 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Huzhou

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 Huzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Huzhou cheaper than Phuket?
Huzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Huzhou?
On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Huzhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Huzhou?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $299 in Huzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Huzhou?
Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Huzhou?
Dining out is cheaper in Huzhou – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Huzhou?
At $815 in Huzhou versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Huzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Huzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Huzhou more family-friendly?
For families, Huzhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Huzhou?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Huzhou are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Huzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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