Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Linyi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Linyi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $608 in Linyi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,012 in Linyi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,417 in Linyi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 108% more expensive than Linyi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Linyi 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.74 ¥25.28

21.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$30.76 ¥208

51.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.09 ¥41.18

39.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.13 ¥21.19

-3.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.61 ¥4.12

13.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.25 ¥1.67

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.09 ¥7.39

128.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.04 ¥13.78

79.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.71 ¥11.59

27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.54 ¥10.40

23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.39 ¥2.63

464.10%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.22 ¥8.28

81.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.69 ¥85.8

57.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.13 ¥21.15

16.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.56 ¥78.2

14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.02 ¥6.93

216.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.96 ¥6.47

77.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.82 ¥5.57

191.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.13 ¥7.63

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.73 ¥4.95

117.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.36 ¥2.45

311.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.56 ¥3.78

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.62 ¥4.17

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.16 ¥21.37

34.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.02 ¥67.8

87.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.57 ¥3.86

208.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.24 ¥8.37

122.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.29 ¥1.97

368.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.51 ¥112

-31.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.38 ¥9.31

127.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.35 ¥2.40

197.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.70 ¥45.28

105.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.09 ¥7.35

22.94%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$13.8K ¥93.6K

100.01%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ¥112.9K

102.83%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$46.39 ¥314

166.42%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.76 ¥66.0

38.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.35 ¥76.7

64.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$17.90 ¥121

245.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.06 ¥95.1

22.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.29 ¥42.56

45.31%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$198 ¥1,341

254.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,177 ¥41.8K

156.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$69.5 ¥470

-14.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$24.77 ¥168

41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$75.9 ¥513

51.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$73.9 ¥500

13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$154 ¥1,039

302.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$90.8 ¥614

376.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$314 ¥2,120

557.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$224 ¥1,518

573.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,049 ¥7,091

150.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$810 ¥5,477

-37.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Linyi: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $154 in Linyi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Linyi pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Linyi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $185 per month, with Linyi 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 Linyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Linyi wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Linyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Linyi earns 60% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $154 in Linyi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $198 in Linyi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $608 in Linyi versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Linyi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Linyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Linyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Linyi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Linyi 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 Linyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.