Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiamusi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiamusi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $710 in Jiamusi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,135 in Jiamusi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $1,561 in Jiamusi, rent included.

Phuket costs about 77% more than Jiamusi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Jiamusi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Jiamusi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.73 ¥18.27

67.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$21.20 ¥142

53.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.97 ¥33.32

79.07%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.00 ¥20.11

-6.67%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.43 ¥2.90

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.27 ¥1.78

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.90 ¥6.00

165.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.15 ¥14.39

72.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.84 ¥12.36

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.59 ¥10.69

-9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.89 ¥5.95

77.53%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.53 ¥10.26

39.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.82 ¥85.9

55.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.11 ¥20.82

10.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.13 ¥67.9

11.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.80 ¥12.06

63.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.24 ¥8.32

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.47 ¥9.84

57.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.14 ¥7.66

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.70 ¥4.68

110.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.90 ¥6.04

51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.57 ¥3.81

92.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.51 ¥3.41

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.04 ¥20.40

40.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$10.46 ¥70.1

76.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.74 ¥4.94

152.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.64 ¥10.98

78.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.27 ¥1.81

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$16.99 ¥114

34.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.43 ¥9.58

111.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.33 ¥2.20

224.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.51 ¥43.63

-39.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.16 ¥7.81

28.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.2K ¥128.7K

41.29%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$16.9K ¥113.2K

62.47%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$45.44 ¥305

126.23%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.75 ¥65.3

12.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$11.65 ¥78.1

50.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.80 ¥280

28.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$13.96 ¥93.6

-19.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.83 ¥39.08

28.30%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$330 ¥2,209

69.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$16.5K ¥110.7K

-28.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$43.19 ¥289

48.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$30.92 ¥207

-5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$71.9 ¥482

33.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$71.4 ¥478

26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$283 ¥1,899

157.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$189 ¥1,266

164.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$586 ¥3,928

256.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$360 ¥2,410

236.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,012 ¥20.2K

19.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$2,005 ¥13.4K

25.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

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 Jiamusi: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $283 in Jiamusi. 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 $21.00 in Jiamusi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $197 – making Jiamusi 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 Jiamusi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 77%, 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 $1,065 in Jiamusi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $557 per month in Phuket and $330 in Jiamusi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jiamusi, where all-in costs run around $710, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Jiamusi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jiamusi – 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 Jiamusi. 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.