Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiujiang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiujiang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $757 in Jiujiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,199 in Jiujiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Jiujiang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than Jiujiang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jiujiang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.82 ¥19.09

61.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.54 ¥139

127.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.63 ¥38.09

50.44%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.09 ¥14.11

44.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.42 ¥2.83

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.29 ¥1.96

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.87 ¥5.89

186.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.66 ¥18.01

37.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.79 ¥12.13

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.33 ¥8.99

42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.92 ¥6.21

139.13%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.40 ¥9.44

58.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.43 ¥84.1

60.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.49 ¥23.61

4.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.65 ¥85.6

4.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.94 ¥13.12

66.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.08 ¥7.29

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.24 ¥8.35

92.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.94 ¥6.34

121.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.72 ¥4.89

120.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.73 ¥4.97

102.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.49 ¥3.34

110.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.56 ¥3.76

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.97 ¥20.10

43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.70 ¥65.6

93.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.72 ¥4.86

144.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.46 ¥9.85

89.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 ¥1.82

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.60 ¥112

-31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.35 ¥9.13

132.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.25 ¥1.68

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.38 ¥43.12

115.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.16 ¥7.87

15.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$18.5K ¥124.9K

49.85%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$14.2K ¥96.1K

138.35%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$84.7 ¥573

45.97%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$7.78 ¥52.6

73.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.90 ¥80.5

57.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.19 ¥279

50.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.85 ¥93.6

24.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.52 ¥37.33

65.58%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$315 ¥2,127

123.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,674 ¥51.9K

106.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$53.3 ¥360

11.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.64 ¥207

14.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$80.2 ¥542

43.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$103 ¥694

-18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$281 ¥1,899

120.27%

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

$601 ¥4,061

243.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$356 ¥2,408

324.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,388 ¥22.9K

7.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,832 ¥12.4K

43.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$451 ¥3,049

12.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.17

27.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays 12% 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 Jiujiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $197 per month, with Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiujiang wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jiujiang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 12% 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 Jiujiang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiujiang – 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 $757 in Jiujiang – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $757 in Jiujiang versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jiujiang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jiujiang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jiujiang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $757 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jiujiang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.