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 $658 in Jiangmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $961 in Jiangmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,263 in Jiangmen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than Jiangmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jiangmen 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.20 ¥21.66

46.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$16.87 ¥114

168.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.11 ¥34.58

64.97%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$2.71 ¥18.32

8.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.50 ¥3.40

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.30 ¥2.05

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.28 ¥8.68

88.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.77 ¥18.76

34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.82 ¥12.34

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.57 ¥10.59

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.94 ¥6.39

130.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.64 ¥11.13

34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$6.82 ¥46.14

189.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.20 ¥21.66

13.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$9.57 ¥64.8

41.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.88 ¥12.73

74.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.29 ¥8.70

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.03 ¥6.95

133.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.22 ¥8.27

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.58 ¥3.92

163.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.78 ¥5.30

89.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.40 ¥2.68

147.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.55 ¥3.72

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.44 ¥23.30

28.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$12.75 ¥86.3

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.65 ¥4.42

173.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.70 ¥11.53

59.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.43 ¥2.93

218.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$17.01 ¥115

-33.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.42 ¥9.59

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.34 ¥2.33

191.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.75 ¥45.67

108.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.17 ¥7.94

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$22.6K ¥152.8K

24.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ¥136.5K

63.10%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$37.87 ¥256

221.36%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$7.77 ¥52.6

74.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.57 ¥78.3

58.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$28.15 ¥190

113.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$4.22 ¥28.56

306.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$6.40 ¥43.29

35.78%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$225 ¥1,522

208.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$9,624 ¥65.1K

63.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$20.74 ¥140

187.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$30.66 ¥207

13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$74.7 ¥506

53.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$37.72 ¥255

120.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$283 ¥1,915

116.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$186 ¥1,256

135.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$414 ¥2,801

405.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$247 ¥1,673

510.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$6,005 ¥40.6K

-37.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,236 ¥8,362

111.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$587 ¥3,973

-13.49%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Jiangmen: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $283 in Jiangmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Jiangmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $180 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 92% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $658 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Jiangmen earns 16% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $283 in Jiangmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $658 in Jiangmen – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jiangmen runs roughly 49% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $658 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 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.