Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jinzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jinzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $711 in Jinzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,134 in Jinzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,558 in Jinzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than Jinzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jinzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.85 ¥19.25

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.81 ¥141

124.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.92 ¥33.26

72.15%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.97 ¥20.08

2.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.47 ¥3.19

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.29 ¥1.97

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.90 ¥6.06

176.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.13 ¥14.38

71.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.86 ¥12.60

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.56 ¥10.55

21.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.89 ¥6.02

147.19%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.57 ¥10.64

41.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.80 ¥86.6

56.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.16 ¥21.37

15.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.03 ¥67.8

32.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.78 ¥12.05

81.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.20 ¥8.14

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.36 ¥9.22

75.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.10 ¥7.41

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.68 ¥4.61

133.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.96 ¥6.47

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.60 ¥4.08

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.51 ¥3.42

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.04 ¥20.56

39.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$12.57 ¥85.0

49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.74 ¥5.02

137.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.65 ¥11.16

67.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 ¥1.81

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.79 ¥114

-32.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.43 ¥9.65

119.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.36 ¥2.40

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.71 ¥45.37

105.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.13 ¥7.61

18.58%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.4K ¥131.1K

42.79%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

102.72%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$45.97 ¥311

168.85%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.85 ¥66.6

37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.75 ¥79.5

59.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.68 ¥282

48.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.86 ¥93.7

24.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.41 ¥43.35

42.59%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$337 ¥2,279

108.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$16.9K ¥114.2K

-5.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$43.47 ¥294

36.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.08 ¥203

16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$71.9 ¥486

60.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$75.4 ¥510

11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$281 ¥1,903

119.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$184 ¥1,247

134.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$586 ¥3,963

251.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$359 ¥2,425

321.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,259 ¥22.0K

11.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,675 ¥11.3K

56.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$436 ¥2,950

16.23%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $281 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Jinzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jinzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 16% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $281 in Jinzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jinzhou – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $711 in Jinzhou – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $711 in Jinzhou versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jinzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jinzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou 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 Jinzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.