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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $648 in Nanchong, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $1,027 in Nanchong, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $1,407 in Nanchong, rent included.

Phuket costs about 92% more than Nanchong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nanchong are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 7% lower, Nanchong 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$1.70 ¥11.60

170.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,500

$20.56 ¥140

127.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$3.43 ¥23.43

153.64%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.41 ¥16.43

21.16%

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

$0.68 ฿21.90

$0.39 ¥2.68

74.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.69

$0.29 ¥2.00

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.3

$1.00 ¥6.86

151.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.63 ¥11.15

133.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.75 ¥11.95

23.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.25 ¥8.55

50.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.1

$0.73 ¥4.99

195.89%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.1

$1.36 ¥9.32

63.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$15.52 ¥106

26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.49 ¥17.03

52.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.12 ¥69.1

32.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.09 ¥7.44

199.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.6

$1.09 ¥7.45

47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿73.9

$0.99 ¥6.76

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿65.9

$0.68 ¥4.67

202.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$0.58 ¥3.94

177.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.23

$0.71 ¥4.85

102.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.99

$0.56 ¥3.83

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.38

$0.40 ¥2.76

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.17 ¥21.62

41.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿614

$8.66 ¥59.2

121.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.94 ¥6.45

93.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.97 ¥13.43

36.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.13

$0.27 ¥1.82

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.57 ¥113

-29.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.5

$0.82 ¥5.61

279.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.16

$0.32 ¥2.21

212.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿440

$2.75 ¥18.81

399.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.58

$1.11 ¥7.61

17.12%

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

$27.4K ฿876.5K

$18.0K ¥122.9K

51.99%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$16.5K ¥112.8K

99.98%

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

$125 ฿4,001

$36.67 ¥250

240.55%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$6.12 ¥41.80

124.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿596

$6.79 ¥46.36

174.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,940

$42.26 ¥289

43.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

$14.10 ¥96.3

21.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$5.60 ¥38.26

60.89%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$335 ¥2,289

108.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.2K

$26.5K ¥181.0K

-39.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,897

$29.16 ¥199

103.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,117

$28.29 ¥193

23.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,659

$58.6 ¥400

95.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,749

$60.4 ¥412

42.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$283 ¥1,931

118.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$188 ¥1,287

131.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$584 ¥3,986

255.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$359 ¥2,455

319.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

$3,159 ¥21.6K

19.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

$1,712 ¥11.7K

57.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Nanchong: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $283 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 in Phuket versus $21 in Nanchong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $183 – 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: $1,247 in Phuket, $648 in Nanchong – roughly 92% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,870 per month in Phuket and $972 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 $698 per month in Phuket and $335 in Nanchong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% 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 $648, than in Phuket at $1,247. 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 $648 in Nanchong to $1,247 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.