Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jieyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jieyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $653 in Jieyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,013 in Jieyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,373 in Jieyang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 91% more expensive than Jieyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.00 ¥13.67

129.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$11.72 ¥80.0

299.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$3.58 ¥24.48

143.02%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.81 ¥19.21

3.91%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.40 ¥2.75

70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.29 ¥1.96

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.82 ¥5.62

206.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.66 ¥11.31

128.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.37 ¥9.34

57.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$2.14 ¥14.63

-12.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.83 ¥5.64

160.24%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$0.86 ¥5.87

158.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$11.04 ¥75.4

77.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.39 ¥16.29

59.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.90 ¥74.5

23.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.79 ¥12.22

82.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$0.63 ¥4.32

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$0.93 ¥6.38

148.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.87 ¥12.77

10.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.89 ¥6.11

80.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.62 ¥11.07

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.40 ¥2.76

157.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.51 ¥3.50

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$2.72 ¥18.59

65.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$10.79 ¥73.7

77.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.78 ¥5.36

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.65 ¥11.26

63.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.29 ¥1.99

375.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.46 ¥112

-28.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$0.81 ¥5.51

283.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.14 ¥0.93

614.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.62 ¥45.19

107.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$0.94 ¥6.42

38.30%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$12.0K ¥82.0K

127.80%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$10.5K ¥71.4K

215.83%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$38.16 ¥261

227.25%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$9.53 ¥65.1

44.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$11.34 ¥77.5

64.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$41.05 ¥280

47.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$13.87 ¥94.7

23.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$5.48 ¥37.41

64.42%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$467 ¥3,187

49.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$17.0K ¥116.1K

-5.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$19.43 ¥133

204.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$26.93 ¥184

29.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$56.4 ¥385

102.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$81.0 ¥553

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$284 ¥1,938

117.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$191 ¥1,304

128.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$593 ¥4,050

249.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$365 ¥2,491

313.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$3,220 ¥22.0K

16.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$1,949 ¥13.3K

38.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$1,068 ¥7,295

-50.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.56

49.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Jieyang: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $284 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jieyang pays 102% 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 $12 in Jieyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $188 per month, with Jieyang 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 Jieyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jieyang wins on cost – living expenses run 91% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jieyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Jieyang earns 102% 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 $284 in Jieyang. 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 $653 in Jieyang – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 40% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $653 in Jieyang versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jieyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jieyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jieyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $653 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jieyang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jieyang 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 Jieyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.