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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,130 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,532 in Mudanjiang, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.74 ¥18.54

71.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$12.33 ¥83.5

267.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.58 ¥37.81

51.08%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.99 ¥20.26

-2.01%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.37 ¥2.49

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.80

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.88 ¥5.93

173.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.04 ¥13.80

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.83 ¥12.38

21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.62 ¥10.94

12.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.95 ¥6.44

128.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.63 ¥11.02

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.82 ¥86.8

53.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.13 ¥21.21

15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.13 ¥68.6

33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.72 ¥11.63

90.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.22 ¥8.25

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.41 ¥9.53

70.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.12 ¥7.59

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.73 ¥4.95

109.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.98 ¥6.66

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.56 ¥3.81

76.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.55 ¥3.75

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.06 ¥20.72

44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.12 ¥75.3

74.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.74 ¥5.00

140.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.60 ¥10.81

69.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 ¥1.82

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$17.00 ¥115

-33.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.36 ¥9.23

122.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.33 ¥2.21

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.58 ¥44.55

114.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.17 ¥7.95

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.1K ¥129.5K

47.49%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.8K ¥113.9K

95.70%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$45.16 ¥306

169.49%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.95 ¥67.4

36.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.36 ¥76.9

61.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$42.18 ¥286

42.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.88 ¥94.0

23.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.11 ¥41.39

42.23%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$342 ¥2,317

102.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$17.0K ¥115.1K

-7.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$43.36 ¥294

37.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.21 ¥205

15.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$73.0 ¥494

57.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$75.5 ¥511

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$281 ¥1,902

118.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$187 ¥1,269

133.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$581 ¥3,933

260.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$365 ¥2,470

313.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,269 ¥22.1K

14.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,711 ¥11.6K

52.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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 Mudanjiang: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $281 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Mudanjiang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $199 – 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 74% 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,091 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 $1,265 in Phuket and $728 in Mudanjiang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 49% 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 $728, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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 $728 versus $1,265 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.