Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanchang

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $650 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
Learn more

Nanchang Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nanchang

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 Nanchang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $650 in Nanchang, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Nanchang $650

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,055 in Nanchang, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Nanchang $1,055

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,460 in Nanchang, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Nanchang $1,460

Phuket costs about 97% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Nanchang are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nanchang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.35 ¥15.64

90.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$18.12 ¥121

78.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.82 ¥32.09

82.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.60 ¥17.28

8.85%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.43 ¥2.88

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.25 ¥1.65

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.33 ¥8.88

92.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.88 ¥12.53

95.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.05 ¥13.65

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.43 ¥16.16

-39.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.89 ¥5.93

68.54%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.68 ¥11.19

24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$13.27 ¥88.3

43.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.91 ¥26.01

-15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.89 ¥79.1

-8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.98 ¥13.21

47.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.08 ¥7.21

56.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.93 ¥12.86

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.85 ¥12.34

12.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.84 ¥5.60

79.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.18 ¥7.83

16.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.64 ¥4.28

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.44 ¥2.91

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.94 ¥19.54

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.48 ¥83.1

50.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.73 ¥4.85

149.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.46 ¥9.72

94.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.26 ¥1.74

457.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$15.27 ¥102

271.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.21 ¥8.05

149.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.29 ¥1.91

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.35 ¥48.89

-49.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.30 ¥8.68

13.08%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$19.8K ¥131.6K

35.37%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$17.3K ¥115.3K

54.03%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$35.06 ¥233

174.81%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.91 ¥59.3

26.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$13.40 ¥89.2

25.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$42.60 ¥283

57.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$19.11 ¥127

-43.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.20 ¥41.27

20.97%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$325 ¥2,165

46.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$17.0K ¥113.2K

-33.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$36.85 ¥245

69.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$22.79 ¥152

24.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$87.7 ¥584

7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$59.5 ¥396

44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$224 ¥1,493

219.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$121 ¥802

307.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$448 ¥2,983

329.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$251 ¥1,672

469.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,001 ¥13.3K

108.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,615 ¥10.7K

88.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$741 ¥4,931

-32.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nanchang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Nanchang

$121 18.5% 75.4% $370

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Nanchang

$228 35% 14.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Nanchang

$57 8.8% 53.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nanchang

$93 14.3% 23.6% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nanchang

$78 11.9% 36.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Nanchang

$55 8.5% 33.1% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Nanchang

$19 2.9% 73.1% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $224 in Nanchang. 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 48% higher in Nanchang, 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 $18 in Nanchang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $228 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,042,566

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Nanchang 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Nanchang

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 Nanchang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 97% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $976 in Nanchang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $224 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $650 in Nanchang. That makes Nanchang about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Nanchang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Nanchang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.