Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaifeng Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaifeng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $494 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $799 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,104 in Kaifeng.

Living in Phuket is roughly 149% more expensive than in Kaifeng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kaifeng 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.74 ¥11.65

153.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$13.29 ¥89.1

142.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.18 ¥28.00

113.64%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.51 ¥16.82

15.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.38 ¥2.57

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.14 ¥0.93

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.92 ¥6.19

155.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.65 ¥11.05

125.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.54 ¥10.32

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.52 ¥10.15

-3.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.85 ¥5.72

82.35%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.91 ¥6.08

130.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.87 ¥46.02

185.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.37 ¥15.85

44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.01 ¥67.0

13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$0.84 ¥5.63

254.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.97 ¥6.46

73.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.63 ¥4.21

250.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.61 ¥4.08

254.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.63 ¥4.19

141.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.68 ¥4.56

97.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.23 ¥1.55

391.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 ¥3.50

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.99 ¥20.04

42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$14.62 ¥97.9

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.00 ¥6.71

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.01 ¥13.46

38.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.16 ¥1.07

1293.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.16 ¥7.79

161.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.14 ¥0.91

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.50 ¥23.42

11.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.23 ¥8.24

21.14%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$19.4K ¥130.1K

36.84%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$14.6K ¥97.8K

85.14%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$44.50 ¥298

130.27%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.91 ¥32.86

130.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$5.18 ¥34.71

235.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$29.77 ¥199

74.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$10.58 ¥70.8

4.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.67 ¥24.61

109.54%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$311 ¥2,080

80.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$22.1K ¥147.9K

-47.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$52.7 ¥353

19.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$31.45 ¥211

-6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$70.3 ¥471

39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$43.85 ¥294

101.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$121 ¥808

512.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$90.2 ¥604

434.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$221 ¥1,479

853.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$175 ¥1,175

598.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$579 ¥3,878

-14.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.1

79.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $121 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaifeng pays 17% 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 $13.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $164 per month, with Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaifeng wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaifeng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Kaifeng. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $121 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $494 in Kaifeng – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $494 in Kaifeng versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kaifeng delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaifeng hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.