Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiaxing Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiaxing

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $657 in Jiaxing, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,095 in Jiaxing, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,533 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Phuket costs about 93% more than Jiaxing, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Jiaxing are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Jiaxing 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.86 ¥19.35

64.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$20.78 ¥141

118.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.86 ¥32.89

73.46%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.20 ¥21.64

-8.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.45 ¥3.03

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.26 ¥1.77

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.68 ¥4.63

254.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.79 ¥12.10

107.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.34 ¥15.85

-4.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.94 ¥13.10

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.53 ¥3.61

309.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.53 ¥10.35

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.99 ¥47.31

182.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.74 ¥18.56

32.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.02 ¥61.0

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.62 ¥10.96

102.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.27 ¥8.60

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.18 ¥7.99

104.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.14 ¥7.68

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.59 ¥4.01

159.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.96 ¥6.48

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.80 ¥5.40

23.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.56 ¥3.82

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.57 ¥24.17

23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$11.03 ¥74.6

75.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.69 ¥4.64

157.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.47 ¥9.98

84.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.29 ¥1.97

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$15.41 ¥104

-26.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.13 ¥7.62

167.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.38 ¥2.57

160.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.76 ¥45.77

108.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.12 ¥7.58

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$16.8K ¥113.6K

68.07%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$14.5K ¥98.2K

126.76%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$34.35 ¥233

254.29%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.13 ¥75.3

21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$4.76 ¥32.23

284.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$34.36 ¥233

75.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.14 ¥48.31

140.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.44 ¥36.81

59.74%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$401 ¥2,715

72.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.7K ¥79.0K

34.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$43.33 ¥293

37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$32.67 ¥221

6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$69.0 ¥467

66.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$82.6 ¥559

0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$267 ¥1,810

129.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$169 ¥1,147

157.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$711 ¥4,810

194.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$418 ¥2,830

261.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,230 ¥28.6K

-11.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,959 ¥13.3K

33.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$825 ¥5,586

-38.43%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Jiaxing: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $267 in Jiaxing. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Jiaxing, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Jiaxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $181 – making Jiaxing 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 Jiaxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 93% more than Jiaxing, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $985 in Jiaxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Jiaxing. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $401 in Jiaxing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jiaxing, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Jiaxing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jiaxing costs $657 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Jiaxing. 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.