Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Liuzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Liuzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $728 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,126 in Liuzhou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,524 in Liuzhou, rent included.

Phuket costs about 74% more than Liuzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.60 ¥17.61

80.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$15.49 ¥105

192.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.73 ¥25.21

126.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.31 ¥22.40

-11.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.50 ¥3.35

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.25 ¥1.70

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.87 ¥5.88

177.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.07 ¥14.03

79.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.62 ¥10.94

37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$2.11 ¥14.29

-13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.76 ¥11.92

23.30%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.46 ¥9.86

51.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$12.67 ¥85.7

55.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.38 ¥22.85

7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$11.00 ¥74.4

23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.71 ¥11.57

91.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.03 ¥6.99

56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.41 ¥9.51

70.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$2.13 ¥14.38

-2.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.67 ¥4.54

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.90 ¥6.09

64.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.84 ¥5.72

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$1.09 ¥7.40

-53.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.66 ¥24.79

20.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$11.95 ¥80.8

62.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.84 ¥5.68

111.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$2.72 ¥18.40

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.29 ¥1.96

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$16.95 ¥115

-32.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.41 ¥9.52

114.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.26 ¥1.74

280.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.83 ¥46.23

106.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.27 ¥8.62

7.09%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$15.4K ¥104.0K

83.46%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$13.0K ¥87.9K

153.23%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$46.14 ¥312

163.76%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$9.98 ¥67.5

35.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$10.42 ¥70.5

75.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$76.7 ¥519

-21.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$14.17 ¥95.9

20.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$4.99 ¥33.78

74.15%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$230 ¥1,553

202.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$16.9K ¥114.6K

-7.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$37.87 ¥256

57.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$22.56 ¥153

54.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$60.2 ¥407

90.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$52.4 ¥355

58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$221 ¥1,496

177.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$171 ¥1,155

155.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$386 ¥2,612

442.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$297 ¥2,011

407.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,155 ¥21.3K

18.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,774 ¥12.0K

47.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$585 ¥3,957

-13.13%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Liuzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $221 in Liuzhou. 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 15% higher in Liuzhou, 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 $15.00 in Liuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $223 – making Liuzhou 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 Liuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $728 in Liuzhou – roughly 74% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,093 in Liuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 31% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $15.00 in Liuzhou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Liuzhou, where all-in costs run around $728, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Liuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $728 in Liuzhou to $1,265 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Liuzhou. 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.