Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Longyan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Longyan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $722 in Longyan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,130 in Longyan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,538 in Longyan, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.75 ¥18.63

65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.49 ¥139

127.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.54 ¥37.43

52.89%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.03 ¥13.74

49.26%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.51 ¥3.47

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.29 ¥1.97

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.05 ¥7.13

137.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.57 ¥10.59

133.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.86 ¥12.59

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.43 ¥9.65

32.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.67 ¥4.50

228.36%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.37 ¥9.29

62.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.25 ¥76.1

77.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.27 ¥15.37

61.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.02 ¥74.5

20.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.43 ¥16.42

32.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.40 ¥9.45

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.51 ¥10.21

58.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.93 ¥13.02

7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.90 ¥6.06

76.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.71 ¥11.56

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.83 ¥5.60

24.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.55 ¥3.72

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.74 ¥18.52

55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$24.62 ¥166

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.75 ¥5.06

134.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.60 ¥10.81

72.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 ¥1.82

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.82 ¥114

-32.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.35 ¥9.13

132.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.26 ¥1.74

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.62 ¥44.77

108.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.18 ¥7.99

13.56%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$16.2K ¥109.6K

70.84%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥116.9K

95.94%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$38.70 ¥262

219.35%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.58 ¥64.8

41.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.64 ¥78.7

60.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.99 ¥284

47.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.12 ¥95.5

22.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.08 ¥47.87

29.10%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$464 ¥3,138

51.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$17.2K ¥116.1K

-7.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$28.36 ¥192

109.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$13.77 ¥93.1

154.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$69.8 ¥472

65.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$81.0 ¥548

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$274 ¥1,854

125.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$186 ¥1,259

132.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$595 ¥4,025

246.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$364 ¥2,459

315.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,025 ¥20.5K

20.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,808 ¥12.2K

45.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$479 ¥3,236

5.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.56

49.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Longyan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $274 in Longyan. 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 6% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $20.00 in Longyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $228 – making Longyan 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 Longyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $722 in Longyan – roughly 75% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,084 in Longyan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 48% less in Longyan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Phuket and $464 in Longyan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Longyan, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Longyan 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 $722 in Longyan to $1,261 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 Longyan. 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.