Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Huzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $725 in Huzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,131 in Huzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,537 in Huzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in Huzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Huzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.77 ¥18.73

64.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.92 ¥148

110.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.84 ¥32.68

82.64%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.13 ¥21.16

-2.24%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.44 ¥2.97

65.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.26 ¥1.76

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.81 ¥5.50

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.10 ¥14.22

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.32 ¥15.69

-2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.20 ¥14.87

-17.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.77 ¥5.22

192.21%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.50 ¥10.12

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.88 ¥60.0

119.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.86 ¥19.32

27.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.91 ¥60.2

46.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.22 ¥15.00

45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 ¥9.59

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.58 ¥10.69

50.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.16 ¥7.85

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.94 ¥6.35

62.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.96 ¥6.49

56.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.85 ¥5.77

15.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.58 ¥3.91

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.58 ¥24.19

24.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.62 ¥78.5

57.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.50 ¥3.40

272.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.50 ¥10.14

78.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.29 ¥1.97

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$17.01 ¥115

-31.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.49 ¥10.07

108.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.36 ¥2.41

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$8.45 ¥57.1

66.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.12 ¥7.55

16.96%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$16.9K ¥114.2K

64.64%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$14.3K ¥96.5K

132.65%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$43.13 ¥291

183.89%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$10.99 ¥74.3

23.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.06 ¥74.7

69.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$42.02 ¥284

43.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$13.84 ¥93.5

22.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.41 ¥36.53

67.65%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$408 ¥2,759

73.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$18.7K ¥126.0K

-15.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$41.98 ¥284

39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$33.42 ¥226

5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$68.3 ¥462

68.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$83.7 ¥566

0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$282 ¥1,906

121.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$189 ¥1,277

135.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$602 ¥4,066

239.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$358 ¥2,422

316.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,110 ¥21.0K

11.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,846 ¥12.5K

39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,467 ¥9,916

-65.94%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Huzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $282 in Huzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huzhou pays 194% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Huzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $198 per month, with Huzhou cheaper across the board.

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

Huzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 194% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $282 in Huzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Huzhou – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $725 in Huzhou versus $1,250 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Huzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.