Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiaxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaxing: $632 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Jiaxing
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Jiaxing Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Jiaxing

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jiaxing

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Jiaxing actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $632 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Jiaxing $632

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,070 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Jiaxing $1,070

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,507 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Jiaxing $1,507

Phuket costs about 91% more than Jiaxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Jiaxing are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Jiaxing 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$3.05 ¥20.38

50.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,090

$22.17 ¥148

46.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$4.41 ¥29.44

93.88%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$3.03 ¥20.26

-10.23%

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

$0.94 ฿31.37

$0.48 ¥3.18

95.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.46

$0.29 ¥1.93

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$0.78 ¥5.22

232.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$2.27 ¥15.16

68.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.90 ¥12.69

-8.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.01

$1.95 ¥13.05

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$0.59 ¥3.93

159.32%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.92 ¥12.80

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$7.45 ¥49.75

157.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.31 ¥22.11

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$7.51 ¥50.2

48.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.9

$1.60 ¥10.66

84.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.14 ¥7.64

47.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$0.93 ¥6.24

147.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$0.68 ¥4.56

213.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$0.59 ¥3.92

159.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.73

$0.87 ¥5.79

56.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.59

$0.50 ¥3.36

124.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.31

$0.55 ¥3.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$5.13 ¥34.24

-16.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$11.85 ¥79.2

53.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.79 ¥5.26

120.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.7

$1.31 ¥8.76

112.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$0.21 ¥1.40

957.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$16.27 ¥109

35.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.7

$1.17 ¥7.79

148.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.93

$0.42 ¥2.82

140.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.66 ¥51.2

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.26 ¥8.39

18.25%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$19.5K ¥130.6K

36.49%

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

$26.7K ฿896.1K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

37.46%

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

$99.4 ฿3,334

$36.33 ¥243

173.52%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$11.38 ¥76.1

-0.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$5.30 ¥35.44

227.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,754

$37.96 ¥254

37.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$7.30 ¥48.75

48.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$5.15 ¥34.40

46.99%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$430 ¥2,874

29.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.4K

$12.6K ¥83.9K

-8.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,110

$35.13 ¥235

78.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿959

$21.43 ¥143

33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,226

$63.5 ¥424

51.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,954

$45.38 ¥303

94.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$282 ¥1,882

158.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$176 ¥1,178

160.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$743 ¥4,968

181.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$455 ¥3,037

168.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$3,818 ¥25.5K

-9.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$2,051 ¥13.7K

21.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$737 ¥4,923

-33.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jiaxing: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Jiaxing

$176 27.9% 61.7% $284

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Jiaxing

$174 27.6% 34.9% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Jiaxing

$53 8.4% 58.6% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Jiaxing

$74 11.8% 40% $50

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Jiaxing

$86 13.5% 29.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Jiaxing

$48 7.6% 28.4% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Jiaxing

$20 3.2% 47.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $282 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 49% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Jiaxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $174 – making Jiaxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Jiaxing

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,563,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Jiaxing 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Jiaxing

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 91% more than Jiaxing, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $948 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 36% less in Jiaxing. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $430 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 $632, than in Phuket at $1,207. 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 $632 versus $1,207 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.