Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jining Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jining

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $683 in Jining.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,014 in Jining.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,346 in Jining.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Jining, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Jining 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.30 ¥15.41

98.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$16.07 ¥108

102.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.36 ¥29.27

104.13%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.51 ¥16.83

11.55%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.47 ¥3.12

87.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.29 ¥1.92

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.91 ¥6.12

162.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.67 ¥11.21

122.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.67 ¥11.20

7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.16 ¥7.80

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.93 ¥6.22

69.89%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.98 ¥6.56

117.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$8.09 ¥54.3

146.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.89 ¥19.40

18.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.27 ¥68.9

10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.47 ¥9.88

100.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.01 ¥6.81

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.06 ¥7.13

118.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.17 ¥7.84

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.62 ¥4.15

137.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.72 ¥4.83

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.61 ¥4.11

80.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.76 ¥5.13

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.18 ¥34.79

-17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$9.39 ¥63.0

96.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.01 ¥6.76

85.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.62 ¥10.85

80.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.31 ¥2.10

616.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$20.37 ¥137

12.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.07 ¥7.18

183.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.29 ¥1.92

268.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.53 ¥23.67

11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.27 ¥8.54

17.32%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.3K ¥129.8K

40.28%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$17.4K ¥116.7K

57.86%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$60.6 ¥406

69.75%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$7.15 ¥47.98

53.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$10.57 ¥70.9

65.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.78 ¥280

28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.84 ¥99.6

-24.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.45 ¥29.85

68.09%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$314 ¥2,110

77.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$7,437 ¥49.9K

59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$51.9 ¥348

23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$31.02 ¥208

-6.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$73.0 ¥490

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$70.3 ¥471

28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$281 ¥1,886

159.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$179 ¥1,204

178.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$392 ¥2,629

433.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$265 ¥1,777

356.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,192 ¥21.4K

12.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,958 ¥13.1K

28.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$579 ¥3,887

-13.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.29

69.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Jining: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $281 in Jining. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jining pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Jining for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $171 per month, with Jining 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 Jining: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jining is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Jining. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $281 in Jining. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jining runs roughly 12% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $314 in Jining. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $683 in Jining versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jining but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jining the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jining is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jining 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 Jining gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.