Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jiujiang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiujiang: $793 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Jiujiang
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Jiujiang Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Jiujiang

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jiujiang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Jiujiang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $793 in Jiujiang.

Phuket $1,207
Jiujiang $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Jiujiang.

Phuket $2,037
Jiujiang $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,681 in Jiujiang.

Phuket $2,867
Jiujiang $1,681

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Jiujiang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Jiujiang 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$2.61 ¥17.46

75.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,089

$22.60 ¥151

43.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$4.53 ¥30.24

88.74%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.2

$2.75 ¥18.37

-1.09%

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

$0.94 ฿31.33

$0.50 ¥3.32

88.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.44

$0.27 ¥1.78

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

$1.03 ¥6.88

151.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.05 ¥13.71

86.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.61 ¥10.76

8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.95

$2.05 ¥13.72

-30.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$0.80 ¥5.36

91.25%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.9

$1.84 ¥12.27

17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$13.68 ¥91.4

39.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.81 ¥32.13

-31.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$11.70 ¥78.2

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.8

$2.33 ¥15.56

26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.74 ¥11.61

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.0

$1.73 ¥11.52

32.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.5

$1.54 ¥10.30

38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$0.80 ¥5.37

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.67

$1.01 ¥6.73

34.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.54

$0.86 ¥5.71

30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.29

$0.71 ¥4.75

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$2.97 ¥19.84

43.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$12.07 ¥80.7

50.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.86 ¥5.76

102.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.6

$1.89 ¥12.60

47.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$0.30 ¥2.00

640.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿739

$18.59 ¥124

18.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.6

$1.19 ¥7.93

144.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.89

$0.35 ¥2.34

188.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.57 ¥23.86

7.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.98

$1.27 ¥8.49

17.32%

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

$26.7K ฿894.0K

$19.7K ¥131.7K

35.38%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$16.4K ¥109.9K

62.38%

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

$99.4 ฿3,330

$49.03 ¥328

102.67%

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

$11.28 ฿378

$9.24 ¥61.7

22.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$12.08 ¥80.7

43.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,752

$42.46 ¥284

23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿363

$17.05 ¥114

-36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$6.23 ¥41.60

21.51%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$240 ¥1,605

132.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.9K

$8,703 ¥58.1K

31.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,107

$88.4 ¥590

-28.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿958

$33.31 ¥223

-14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,222

$64.3 ¥430

49.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,951

$97.6 ¥652

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$291 ¥1,941

151.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$205 ¥1,366

124.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.2K

$552 ¥3,690

279.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$338 ¥2,258

261.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.9K

$3,711 ¥24.8K

-6.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.4K

$2,067 ¥13.8K

20.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$594 ¥3,966

-16.94%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jiujiang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Jiujiang

$205 25.8% 55.5% $255

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Jiujiang

$233 29.4% 13% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Jiujiang

$70 8.9% 45% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Jiujiang

$128 16.1% 2.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Jiujiang

$80 10.1% 34.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Jiujiang

$55 6.9% 18.5% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Jiujiang

$23 2.9% 41.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $291 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Jiujiang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $233 per month, with Jiujiang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Jiujiang

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

15:06 3:06 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

4,728,778

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 33.51 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Jiujiang 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Jiujiang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 52% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $291 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $793 in Jiujiang – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $793 in Jiujiang versus $1,207 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 $793 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.