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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $641 in Nanchong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,016 in Nanchong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,391 in Nanchong, rent included.

Phuket costs about 97% more than Nanchong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.63 ¥10.99

179.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.10 ¥143

121.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.38 ¥22.84

150.59%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.38 ¥16.08

27.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.40 ¥2.69

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.29 ¥1.98

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.94 ¥6.33

164.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.71 ¥11.58

114.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.71 ¥11.59

27.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.26 ¥8.54

50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.73 ¥4.96

201.37%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.36 ¥9.18

63.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$15.40 ¥104

29.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.62 ¥17.69

39.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.22 ¥69.1

29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.13 ¥7.64

185.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.10 ¥7.43

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.92 ¥6.24

159.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.72 ¥4.86

188.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.58 ¥3.89

174.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.73 ¥4.91

102.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.57 ¥3.85

80.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.40 ¥2.73

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.11 ¥21.03

36.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.02 ¥61.0

108.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.01 ¥6.82

74.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.99 ¥13.45

38.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 ¥1.82

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.62 ¥112

-31.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.88 ¥5.92

256.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.32 ¥2.18

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.74 ¥18.50

402.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.10 ¥7.46

21.82%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$18.3K ¥123.6K

51.44%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.2K ¥109.5K

109.19%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$36.30 ¥245

240.47%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$6.00 ¥40.60

125.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.03 ¥47.55

165.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.52 ¥281

48.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.13 ¥95.6

22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.69 ¥38.45

60.63%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$340 ¥2,298

106.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$27.4K ¥185.1K

-42.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$30.05 ¥203

97.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.76 ¥188

26.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$58.5 ¥396

97.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$59.4 ¥401

41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$278 ¥1,883

122.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$185 ¥1,253

133.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$588 ¥3,973

250.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$361 ¥2,443

318.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,897 ¥19.6K

25.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,574 ¥10.6K

66.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.74

42.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $278 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $185 – 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: $1,261 in Phuket, $641 in Nanchong – roughly 97% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $961 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 $703 per month in Phuket and $340 in Nanchong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% 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 $641, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $641 in Nanchong to $1,261 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.