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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $708 in Jinzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,115 in Jinzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,523 in Jinzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than Jinzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Jinzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.72 ¥18.63

70.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$20.96 ¥144

123.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.00 ¥34.27

76.80%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.98 ¥20.43

0.67%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.43 ¥2.95

72.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.29 ¥2.01

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.93 ¥6.35

162.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.07 ¥14.18

74.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.78 ¥12.18

26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.61 ¥11.03

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.89 ¥6.07

151.69%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.61 ¥11.04

44.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.85 ¥88.0

53.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.06 ¥20.96

19.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.22 ¥70.0

28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.80 ¥12.33

88.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.24 ¥8.50

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.41 ¥9.69

70.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.09 ¥7.45

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.67 ¥4.57

132.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.91 ¥6.24

64.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.57 ¥3.88

78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.52 ¥3.56

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.08 ¥21.11

44.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.74 ¥80.4

60.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.73 ¥5.03

143.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.63 ¥11.18

68.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.29 ¥2.00

382.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$16.56 ¥113

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.37 ¥9.36

127.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.33 ¥2.23

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.51 ¥44.56

116.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.13 ¥7.75

19.47%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.2K ¥131.3K

41.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.5K ¥113.3K

99.01%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$45.20 ¥310

176.50%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.92 ¥67.9

36.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$11.60 ¥79.5

59.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$42.60 ¥292

44.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$14.00 ¥95.9

20.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.10 ¥41.76

50.66%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$337 ¥2,308

107.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$17.0K ¥116.2K

-8.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$42.75 ¥293

35.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.97 ¥212

13.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$71.1 ¥487

59.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$75.5 ¥517

14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$276 ¥1,889

123.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$184 ¥1,260

142.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$584 ¥4,003

250.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$356 ¥2,436

319.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,350 ¥22.9K

12.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,889 ¥12.9K

40.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$443 ¥3,037

18.16%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jinzhou: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $276 in Jinzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 18% 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 $292 vs $199 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 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 18% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $276 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 $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $708 in Jinzhou – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $708 in Jinzhou versus $1,232 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 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.