Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jinan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jinan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,242 per month in Phuket vs $644 in Jinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Phuket vs $1,044 in Jinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,444 in Jinan, rent included.

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

Both Phuket and Jinan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Jinan 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 ฿152

$2.20 ¥14.79

109.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 ฿1,151

$23.99 ¥162

45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 ฿283

$5.00 ¥33.66

71.40%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿93.0

$2.30 ¥15.53

22.61%

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

$0.78 ฿25.69

$0.43 ¥2.87

81.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.71

$0.21 ¥1.41

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿80.0

$0.89 ¥6.02

171.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$2.03 ¥13.68

82.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.0

$1.77 ¥11.95

1.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.40

$1.46 ¥9.83

-3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$1.23 ¥8.30

30.08%

Eggs

$2.20 ฿72.7

$1.18 ¥7.94

86.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.64 ฿649

$11.68 ¥78.7

68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ฿116

$3.21 ¥21.60

9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ฿371

$10.91 ¥73.5

3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ฿94.5

$2.07 ¥13.91

38.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿55.6

$1.08 ¥7.31

55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿76.2

$1.86 ¥12.53

24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿69.3

$1.39 ¥9.37

51.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.79

$0.69 ¥4.62

114.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.43

$0.75 ¥5.05

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.49

$0.53 ¥3.57

101.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ฿19.02

$0.66 ¥4.43

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.74 ¥25.18

15.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ฿617

$10.18 ¥68.6

83.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.0

$0.65 ¥4.36

175.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ฿91.6

$1.31 ¥8.85

111.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 ฿72.2

$0.31 ¥2.10

606.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿759

$8.83 ¥59.5

160.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿100

$1.75 ¥11.82

73.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿33.63

$0.32 ¥2.18

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 ฿129

$4.49 ¥30.24

-12.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.15

$1.22 ¥8.22

17.21%

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

$27.2K ฿898.5K

$19.1K ¥128.6K

42.52%

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

$26.9K ฿887.5K

$15.1K ¥101.7K

78.03%

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

$102 ฿3,375

$72.9 ¥491

40.29%

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

$10.95 ฿362

$6.68 ¥45.00

63.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.06 ฿563

$4.99 ¥33.60

241.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 ฿1,757

$31.12 ¥210

70.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 ฿367

$8.94 ¥60.2

24.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿258

$5.78 ¥38.92

35.29%

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

$552 ฿18.2K

$216 ¥1,455

155.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿377.4K

$20.1K ¥135.2K

-43.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,059

$33.14 ¥223

88.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 ฿957

$42.82 ¥288

-32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 ฿3,224

$69.5 ¥468

40.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 ฿2,917

$68.7 ¥463

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ฿24.6K

$232 ¥1,563

221.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ฿15.9K

$135 ¥913

254.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 ฿69.7K

$560 ¥3,775

276.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ฿39.5K

$338 ¥2,278

253.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,579 ฿118.2K

$2,369 ¥16.0K

51.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,576 ฿85.1K

$1,273 ¥8,573

102.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ฿16.8K

$960 ¥6,469

-47.01%

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: August 3, 2026

Last update for Jinan: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $746 in Phuket versus $232 in Jinan. 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 89% higher in Jinan, 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 $35.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Jinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $197 – making Jinan 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 Jinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 93% more than Jinan, 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 $1,863 per month in Phuket and $965 in Jinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Phuket and $24.00 in Jinan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,242 in Phuket and $644 in Jinan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jinan, where all-in costs run around $644, than in Phuket at $1,242. In Jinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jinan costs $644 versus $1,242 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 Jinan. 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.