Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kunshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kunshan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $724 in Kunshan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,128 in Kunshan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,533 in Kunshan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 75% more than Kunshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kunshan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kunshan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.75 ¥18.60

70.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.86 ¥148

107.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.95 ¥33.53

70.30%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.10 ¥20.96

-5.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.43 ¥2.91

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.81

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.92 ¥6.23

161.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.13 ¥14.40

74.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.86 ¥12.61

19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.54 ¥10.41

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.95 ¥6.42

128.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.59 ¥10.79

38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.94 ¥87.7

52.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.21 ¥21.73

13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.05 ¥68.1

34.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.88 ¥12.74

74.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.21 ¥8.22

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.47 ¥9.98

63.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.13 ¥7.68

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.75 ¥5.05

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.97 ¥6.55

52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.60 ¥4.07

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.54 ¥3.69

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.15 ¥21.35

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.48 ¥71.0

84.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.79 ¥5.38

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.59 ¥10.75

70.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 ¥1.82

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.53 ¥112

-31.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.42 ¥9.60

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.33 ¥2.21

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.60 ¥44.67

113.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.14 ¥7.71

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.3K ¥130.9K

45.92%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥117.4K

89.78%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$45.79 ¥310

165.78%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.89 ¥67.0

37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.60 ¥78.5

57.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$41.14 ¥279

46.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.85 ¥93.8

23.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.02 ¥40.80

44.35%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$333 ¥2,256

108.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$16.8K ¥113.6K

-6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$44.51 ¥301

33.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.97 ¥210

12.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.6 ¥478

62.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$71.1 ¥482

17.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$275 ¥1,859

123.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$196 ¥1,325

123.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$590 ¥3,997

254.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$365 ¥2,473

313.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,048 ¥20.6K

23.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,045 ¥13.9K

27.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kunshan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $275 in Kunshan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Kunshan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $199 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kunshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 75%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,086 in Kunshan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kunshan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $22.00 in Kunshan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $724 in Kunshan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kunshan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.