Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maoming

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $705 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Maoming
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Maoming Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Maoming

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maoming

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Maoming actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $705 in Maoming, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Maoming $705

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,117 in Maoming, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Maoming $1,117

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,529 in Maoming, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Maoming $1,529

Phuket costs about 81% more than Maoming, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.70 ¥17.95

65.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$23.35 ¥155

38.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.11 ¥27.32

114.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.69 ¥17.90

5.20%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.50 ¥3.33

74.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.29 ¥1.90

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.14 ¥7.60

124.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.08 ¥13.85

76.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.76 ¥11.72

-5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.82 ¥12.12

-19.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.93 ¥6.17

61.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.65 ¥10.96

26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.47 ¥89.6

41.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.41 ¥22.72

-3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.29 ¥75.1

-3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.82 ¥12.10

60.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.27 ¥8.46

33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.47 ¥9.78

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.31 ¥8.75

58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.69 ¥4.61

118.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.97 ¥6.43

42.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.57 ¥3.81

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.55 ¥3.68

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.98 ¥26.49

5.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.31 ¥75.2

66.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.85 ¥5.63

114.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.64 ¥10.94

73.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.29 ¥1.92

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$16.63 ¥111

240.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.47 ¥9.78

105.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.39 ¥2.59

161.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.02 ¥46.71

-47.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.33 ¥8.83

10.53%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$19.6K ¥130.5K

36.56%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$17.9K ¥119.1K

49.12%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$56.5 ¥376

70.68%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.91 ¥59.3

26.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$10.69 ¥71.1

57.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$33.49 ¥223

100.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$15.25 ¥102

-29.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.22 ¥41.41

20.58%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$417 ¥2,775

14.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$16.0K ¥106.6K

-29.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$38.73 ¥258

61.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$33.30 ¥222

-14.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$65.0 ¥433

45.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$81.2 ¥540

5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$287 ¥1,912

149.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$175 ¥1,165

180.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$608 ¥4,046

216.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$319 ¥2,124

348.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,627 ¥24.1K

15.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,055 ¥13.7K

48.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,051 ¥6,992

-52.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.36

65.77%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maoming: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Maoming

$175 24.8% 64.3% $316

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Maoming

$210 29.7% 21.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Maoming

$76 10.8% 38.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Maoming

$98 13.9% 19.4% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Maoming

$79 11.2% 34.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Maoming

$46 6.5% 44.1% $36

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Maoming

$21 3% 70% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $287 in Maoming. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Maoming are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $32 in Phuket versus $23 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $210 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Maoming

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

04:38 4:38 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,217,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Maoming 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Maoming

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,058 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $23 in Maoming. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $705, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maoming – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Maoming is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.