Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mudanjiang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mudanjiang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $723 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,151 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $1,579 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

Phuket costs about 73% more than Mudanjiang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mudanjiang are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Mudanjiang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.94 ¥19.71

55.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$13.64 ¥91.4

139.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.04 ¥40.51

47.35%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.71 ¥18.14

3.32%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.43 ¥2.86

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.33 ¥2.24

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.00 ¥6.68

139.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.13 ¥14.30

74.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.80 ¥12.05

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.60 ¥10.74

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.01 ¥6.79

56.44%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.60 ¥10.70

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.63 ¥91.3

46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.37 ¥22.57

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$11.43 ¥76.6

-0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.89 ¥12.67

56.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.29 ¥8.67

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.58 ¥10.60

46.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.12 ¥7.53

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.73 ¥4.92

101.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.89 ¥5.93

52.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.59 ¥3.95

86.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.54 ¥3.63

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.09 ¥27.38

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$11.36 ¥76.1

62.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.80 ¥5.36

133.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.81 ¥12.13

61.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.31 ¥2.10

616.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$18.63 ¥125

22.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.56 ¥10.44

94.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.32 ¥2.13

234.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.30 ¥48.94

-46.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.30 ¥8.74

14.62%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$17.7K ¥118.7K

53.09%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$17.7K ¥118.9K

54.77%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$48.65 ¥326

111.31%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$8.48 ¥56.8

29.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$11.28 ¥75.6

55.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.85 ¥280

27.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.58 ¥97.7

-23.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.16 ¥41.25

21.43%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$455 ¥3,047

22.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$17.3K ¥115.8K

-31.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$42.69 ¥286

50.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$36.67 ¥246

-20.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$74.0 ¥496

29.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$69.6 ¥466

29.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$324 ¥2,171

125.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$180 ¥1,206

177.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$526 ¥3,524

297.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$421 ¥2,821

187.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,324 ¥22.3K

8.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,975 ¥13.2K

27.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.38

64.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mudanjiang: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $324 in Mudanjiang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Mudanjiang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $209 – making Mudanjiang 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 Mudanjiang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 73% more than Mudanjiang, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,085 in Mudanjiang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,253 in Phuket and $723 in Mudanjiang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Mudanjiang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mudanjiang, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Mudanjiang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mudanjiang costs $723 versus $1,253 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mudanjiang. 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.