Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiangmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiangmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $662 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $960 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,258 in Jiangmen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than Jiangmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Jiangmen 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$3.11 ¥21.26

47.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$16.61 ¥113

181.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$5.00 ¥34.15

74.00%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.78 ¥18.98

5.04%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.48 ¥3.28

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.28 ¥1.89

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$1.27 ¥8.70

97.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.82 ¥19.25

34.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.75 ¥11.95

23.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.51 ¥10.32

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.90 ¥6.11

140.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.65 ¥11.28

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$7.09 ¥48.41

176.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.15 ¥21.49

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$9.55 ¥65.2

40.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.87 ¥12.80

74.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.26 ¥8.62

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.07 ¥7.31

115.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.20 ¥8.18

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.58 ¥3.93

177.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.83 ¥5.70

73.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.37 ¥2.53

178.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.55 ¥3.73

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.41 ¥23.28

31.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$14.25 ¥97.4

34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.65 ¥4.42

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.71 ¥11.69

57.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.43 ¥2.96

220.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.95 ¥116

-30.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.41 ¥9.63

120.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.35 ¥2.37

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.92 ¥47.28

98.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.13 ¥7.71

15.04%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$22.8K ¥155.9K

19.87%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ¥138.4K

62.98%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$37.70 ¥257

231.25%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$7.79 ¥53.2

76.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$11.44 ¥78.1

62.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$27.46 ¥188

120.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$4.13 ¥28.22

315.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$6.14 ¥41.95

46.74%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$223 ¥1,520

213.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$9,624 ¥65.7K

67.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$21.03 ¥144

181.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$29.84 ¥204

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$74.7 ¥510

52.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$37.06 ¥253

131.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$281 ¥1,917

120.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$188 ¥1,284

132.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$419 ¥2,861

395.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$247 ¥1,689

510.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$3,160 ¥21.6K

19.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$1,215 ¥8,296

121.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$557 ¥3,807

-5.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.04

31.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $281 in Jiangmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiangmen pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $17 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $182 per month, with Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Jiangmen differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,247 vs $662 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Jiangmen earns 5% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $281 in Jiangmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,247 per month in Phuket versus $662 in Jiangmen – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jiangmen runs roughly 44% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $662 in Jiangmen versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.