Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kunming, Yunnan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan: $776 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Kunming, Yunnan
Learn more

Kunming, Yunnan Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Kunming, Yunnan

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kunming, Yunnan

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 Kunming, Yunnan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $776 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Phuket $1,207
Kunming, Yunnan $776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Phuket $2,037
Kunming, Yunnan $1,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Phuket $2,867
Kunming, Yunnan $1,665

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Kunming, Yunnan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Kunming, Yunnan 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$2.26 ¥15.09

102.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$22.23 ¥149

46.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$6.46 ¥43.18

32.35%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.87 ¥19.21

-5.23%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.48 ¥3.22

95.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.29 ¥1.91

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.47 ¥9.82

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.18 ¥14.57

75.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.77 ¥11.84

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.75 ¥11.67

-18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.52 ¥10.15

0.66%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.60 ¥10.70

35.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$7.32 ¥48.95

161.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$4.51 ¥30.16

-26.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$12.10 ¥80.9

-7.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.36 ¥9.09

116.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.10 ¥7.35

52.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.57 ¥10.48

46.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.23 ¥8.25

73.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.38 ¥2.56

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.92 ¥6.16

47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.68 ¥11.22

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.64 ¥4.26

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.94 ¥19.63

44.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$6.63 ¥44.36

174.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$0.76 ¥5.09

128.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.47 ¥9.84

89.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.77 ¥5.17

188.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$30.06 ¥201

-26.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.51 ¥10.11

92.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.31 ¥2.08

225.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$14.77 ¥98.7

-74.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.22 ¥8.19

22.13%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$19.9K ¥132.9K

34.24%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$17.7K ¥118.0K

51.32%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$54.2 ¥362

83.41%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$14.62 ¥97.7

-22.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$17.74 ¥119

-2.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$42.16 ¥282

24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$25.91 ¥173

-58.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$5.85 ¥39.15

29.40%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$360 ¥2,409

54.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$13.7K ¥91.6K

-16.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$70.6 ¥472

-10.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$53.3 ¥357

-46.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$76.1 ¥509

26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$111 ¥741

-20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$238 ¥1,593

206.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$181 ¥1,208

154.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$555 ¥3,713

277.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$322 ¥2,150

280.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$3,089 ¥20.7K

11.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,284 ¥8,585

93.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$872 ¥5,832

-43.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.6

54.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Kunming, Yunnan

$181 23.3% 60.7% $279

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$192 24.7% 28.4% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Kunming, Yunnan

$87 11.2% 32.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kunming, Yunnan

$140 18% 12.8% $16

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Kunming, Yunnan

$87 11.2% 28.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Kunming, Yunnan

$54 7% 20.1% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Kunming, Yunnan

$36 4.7% 6.9% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $238 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kunming, Yunnan pays 77% 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 $22.00 in Kunming, Yunnan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $192 per month, with Kunming, Yunnan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Kunming, Yunnan

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,583,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kunming, Yunnan 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kunming, Yunnan

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 Kunming, Yunnan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kunming, Yunnan wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kunming, Yunnan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Kunming, Yunnan. 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 $238 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan – a meal for two runs $22.00 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 $776 in Kunming, Yunnan – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kunming, Yunnan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kunming, Yunnan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kunming, Yunnan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $776 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kunming, Yunnan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kunming, Yunnan 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 Kunming, Yunnan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.