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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $647 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,025 in Liaocheng, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $1,403 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Phuket costs about 94% more than Liaocheng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Liaocheng are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Liaocheng 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.66 ¥17.88

71.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$13.62 ¥91.4

139.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.99 ¥33.48

78.36%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.83 ¥12.27

53.01%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.40 ¥2.65

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.23 ¥1.55

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.85 ¥5.67

181.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.96 ¥13.17

89.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.47 ¥9.90

21.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.47 ¥9.85

-2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.85 ¥5.67

85.88%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.17 ¥7.86

82.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.64 ¥78.1

71.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.92 ¥19.57

17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$11.09 ¥74.4

2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.47 ¥9.87

100.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.07 ¥7.17

60.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.76 ¥11.84

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.22 ¥8.19

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.63 ¥4.23

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.80 ¥5.37

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.52 ¥3.52

111.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.57 ¥3.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.18 ¥14.63

95.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$10.24 ¥68.7

79.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.67 ¥4.47

179.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.34 ¥9.02

117.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.31 ¥2.11

616.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$15.38 ¥103

48.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.22 ¥8.21

148.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.31 ¥2.08

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$4.34 ¥29.11

-9.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.13 ¥7.59

31.86%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.3K ¥129.6K

40.47%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$15.0K ¥100.8K

82.66%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$43.74 ¥294

135.03%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$5.93 ¥39.78

85.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$5.06 ¥33.94

246.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.78 ¥280

28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$15.19 ¥102

-26.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.38 ¥29.42

70.78%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$214 ¥1,439

159.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$20.0K ¥134.0K

-40.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$34.25 ¥230

87.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$29.19 ¥196

-0.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$71.9 ¥483

33.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$59.7 ¥400

51.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$319 ¥2,142

128.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$180 ¥1,206

178.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$596 ¥4,000

250.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$366 ¥2,456

230.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,242 ¥21.8K

10.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,278 ¥8,577

96.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$586 ¥3,930

-14.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $319 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 16% 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 $33.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Liaocheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $186 – 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 94%, 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 $1,880 per month in Phuket and $971 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 49% less in Liaocheng. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $557 per month in Phuket and $214 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 $647, than in Phuket at $1,253. 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.