Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanchong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanchong

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $671 in Nanchong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,093 in Nanchong, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,514 in Nanchong, rent included.

Phuket costs about 83% more than Nanchong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nanchong are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Nanchong 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.81 ¥12.11

143.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$22.46 ¥150

43.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.99 ¥20.04

198.66%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.06 ¥13.83

40.78%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.46 ¥3.10

91.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.31 ¥2.11

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.17 ¥7.82

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.83 ¥12.24

103.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.92 ¥12.85

-2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.61 ¥10.79

-8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.64 ¥4.28

142.19%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.15 ¥14.39

-2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$17.85 ¥120

9.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.40 ¥22.76

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.92 ¥66.4

14.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.48 ¥9.93

101.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.33 ¥8.91

26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.23 ¥8.23

79.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.21 ¥8.12

78.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.65 ¥4.36

133.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.00 ¥6.68

34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.88 ¥5.89

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.65 ¥4.36

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.93 ¥19.61

45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.72 ¥58.4

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.74 ¥4.99

140.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.65 ¥11.05

68.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.28 ¥1.86

696.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$17.64 ¥118

28.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.88 ¥5.89

244.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.29 ¥1.92

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.04 ¥20.38

27.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.26 ¥8.43

18.25%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$19.2K ¥128.4K

38.66%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$16.7K ¥111.8K

61.91%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$45.30 ¥303

126.20%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$6.89 ¥46.15

64.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$7.16 ¥47.93

143.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$41.93 ¥281

24.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$14.42 ¥96.6

-23.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.97 ¥40.02

28.81%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$289 ¥1,933

94.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$25.6K ¥171.4K

-55.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$39.91 ¥267

57.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.45 ¥197

0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$65.3 ¥437

50.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$63.8 ¥427

38.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$286 ¥1,914

158.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$179 ¥1,202

168.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$615 ¥4,118

242.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$370 ¥2,476

231.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,051 ¥20.4K

18.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,935 ¥13.0K

34.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.34

66.77%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $286 in Nanchong. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $213 – making Nanchong 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 Nanchong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $671 in Nanchong – roughly 83% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,007 in Nanchong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $561 per month in Phuket and $289 in Nanchong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchong, where all-in costs run around $671, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Nanchong 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 $671 in Nanchong to $1,232 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 Nanchong. 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.