Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Liaocheng Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Liaocheng

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $691 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,067 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,444 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Phuket costs about 83% more than Liaocheng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Liaocheng are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Liaocheng 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.73 ¥18.48

72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$12.51 ¥84.8

262.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.01 ¥40.74

40.27%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.72 ¥11.67

70.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.34 ¥2.33

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.84

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.80 ¥5.39

201.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.16 ¥14.66

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.78 ¥12.09

25.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.54 ¥10.46

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.96 ¥6.50

126.04%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.58 ¥10.72

39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.86 ¥87.1

53.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.10 ¥20.97

17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.14 ¥68.7

33.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.81 ¥12.25

81.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.25 ¥8.44

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.42 ¥9.61

69.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.09 ¥7.39

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.68 ¥4.62

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.92 ¥6.26

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.59 ¥4.00

67.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.51 ¥3.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.10 ¥20.97

42.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.92 ¥67.2

95.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.78 ¥5.30

128.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.58 ¥10.68

71.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.29 ¥1.97

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.57 ¥112

-31.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.36 ¥9.22

122.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 ¥2.38

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.54 ¥44.26

115.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.16 ¥7.87

17.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.5K ¥132.4K

44.31%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥112.9K

97.30%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$46.38 ¥314

162.40%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.82 ¥66.5

38.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.41 ¥77.3

60.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$41.28 ¥280

45.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.07 ¥95.3

21.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.46 ¥43.74

34.52%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$333 ¥2,254

108.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$17.1K ¥115.9K

-8.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$39.03 ¥264

52.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.58 ¥187

26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$65.8 ¥446

74.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$55.5 ¥376

50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$275 ¥1,861

123.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$191 ¥1,295

128.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$581 ¥3,937

260.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$360 ¥2,441

318.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,182 ¥21.6K

17.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,314 ¥8,902

99.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$577 ¥3,906

-11.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.92

35.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Salaries run about 14% higher in Liaocheng, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $13.00 in Liaocheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $195 – making Liaocheng 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 Liaocheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 83%, 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 $1,036 in Liaocheng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 45% less in Liaocheng. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $333 in Liaocheng. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liaocheng, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Liaocheng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liaocheng – 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 Liaocheng. 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.