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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $512 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,006 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,500 in Jiangmen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 147% more expensive than in Jiangmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Jiangmen 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.41 ¥22.84

36.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.92 ¥200

7.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.34 ¥35.77

62.55%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.26 ¥15.11

28.32%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.42 ¥2.82

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.29 ¥1.92

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$0.87 ¥5.82

185.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.47 ¥9.81

153.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.58 ¥10.55

19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.70 ¥11.38

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.07 ¥7.16

51.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.67 ¥11.18

34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$21.48 ¥144

-7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.25 ¥15.09

54.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$13.60 ¥91.1

-16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.09 ¥14.02

38.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.92 ¥6.18

86.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.16 ¥7.76

95.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.44 ¥9.64

47.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.65 ¥4.35

126.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.02 ¥6.81

39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.31 ¥2.10

254.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.50 ¥3.38

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.92 ¥19.59

47.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$12.35 ¥82.7

50.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.70 ¥4.70

157.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.74 ¥11.66

70.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.43 ¥2.88

423.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.48 ¥9.90

109.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.38 ¥2.51

184.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.50 ¥50.2

-48.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.32 ¥8.86

8.33%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$19.3K ¥129.0K

44.22%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$17.0K ¥114.0K

58.48%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$50.5 ¥338

107.61%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.32 ¥55.7

36.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$12.59 ¥84.3

39.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$30.31 ¥203

79.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$4.53 ¥30.31

152.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.31 ¥42.29

23.30%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$242 ¥1,624

137.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,408 ¥49.6K

56.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$30.16 ¥202

111.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$40.37 ¥270

-27.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$69.8 ¥468

37.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$44.25 ¥296

103.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$438 ¥2,936

384.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$267 ¥1,791

368.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$6,198 ¥41.5K

-42.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,258 ¥8,427

108.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$586 ¥3,928

-13.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.37

65.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Jiangmen pays 16% 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 Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $231 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 147% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $512 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Jiangmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $242 in Jiangmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiangmen – 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.

At $512 in Jiangmen versus $1,265 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 147% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.