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 $769 in Jiujiang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Jiujiang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,672 in Jiujiang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Jiujiang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Jiujiang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$2.45 ¥16.49

80.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$22.55 ¥151

55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$4.40 ¥29.56

103.64%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.66 ¥17.84

12.78%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.49 ¥3.28

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.29 ¥1.96

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$1.02 ¥6.86

135.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.02 ¥13.57

85.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.57 ¥10.53

15.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.93 ¥12.98

-26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.80 ¥5.38

93.75%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.89 ¥12.68

12.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$13.82 ¥92.9

42.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.88 ¥32.77

-28.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$11.21 ¥75.3

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.23 ¥14.97

30.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.66 ¥11.14

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.65 ¥11.06

37.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.58 ¥10.64

32.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.86 ¥5.76

70.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.00 ¥6.69

41.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.84 ¥5.65

29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.67 ¥4.50

-19.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.17 ¥21.27

41.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$11.77 ¥79.1

59.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$0.92 ¥6.17

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.88 ¥12.61

56.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.32 ¥2.12

606.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$16.40 ¥110

40.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.21 ¥8.13

151.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.34 ¥2.31

220.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$3.53 ¥23.70

8.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.24 ¥8.33

20.16%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$19.3K ¥129.9K

41.91%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$16.4K ¥110.5K

67.27%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$48.30 ¥324

110.79%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$9.40 ¥63.2

20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$10.85 ¥72.9

63.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$35.59 ¥239

52.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$16.73 ¥112

-34.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$6.15 ¥41.31

27.64%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$239 ¥1,604

141.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$8,672 ¥58.2K

34.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$88.4 ¥594

-26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$31.55 ¥212

-8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$61.9 ¥415

60.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$96.2 ¥646

-6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$264 ¥1,771

186.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$159 ¥1,067

206.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$646 ¥4,341

222.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$335 ¥2,247

260.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$3,112 ¥20.9K

15.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$2,113 ¥14.2K

23.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$603 ¥4,052

-16.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.15

76.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $264 in Jiujiang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiujiang pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Jiujiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $229 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 64% 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.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Jiujiang. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $264 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 $23.00 versus $35.00 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 $769 in Jiujiang – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $769 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 $769 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.