Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanning Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanning

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $693 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,089 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Nanning.

Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than Nanning, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Nanning 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.73 ¥18.49

67.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$19.02 ¥129

145.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.30 ¥35.84

59.81%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.20 ¥14.89

37.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.56 ¥3.76

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.27 ¥1.84

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.82 ¥5.54

203.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.33 ¥15.73

57.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.70 ¥11.53

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.10 ¥7.43

72.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.03 ¥6.99

113.59%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.55 ¥10.48

43.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.18 ¥62.1

117.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.38 ¥22.88

8.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$14.80 ¥100

-10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.95 ¥13.15

65.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.06 ¥7.20

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.20 ¥8.12

99.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.62 ¥10.96

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.86 ¥5.82

84.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.14 ¥7.69

29.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.46 ¥3.12

123.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.51 ¥3.43

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.56 ¥24.04

19.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$14.57 ¥98.5

28.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.86 ¥5.81

104.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.80 ¥12.16

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.50 ¥3.41

172.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$14.72 ¥99.5

-22.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.27 ¥8.57

147.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.36 ¥2.46

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.47 ¥50.5

84.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.14 ¥7.70

17.54%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.4K ¥144.7K

29.30%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$12.7K ¥85.7K

167.21%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$39.71 ¥269

211.23%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.27 ¥89.7

1.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$10.77 ¥72.8

73.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$68.8 ¥465

-10.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.77 ¥45.75

154.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.66 ¥38.25

61.48%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$299 ¥2,019

135.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.0K ¥94.5K

13.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$18.85 ¥127

215.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.69 ¥187

26.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$63.8 ¥431

80.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$102 ¥688

-17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$236 ¥1,597

161.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$146 ¥990

195.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$350 ¥2,366

489.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$272 ¥1,840

455.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,469 ¥23.5K

5.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,453 ¥9,822

80.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$678 ¥4,583

-25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.18

27.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nanning: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $236 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanning pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Nanning cheaper across the board.

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 Nanning: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Nanning differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $693 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nanning earns 34% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $236 in Nanning. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanning runs roughly 30% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $299 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $693 in Nanning versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanning but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nanning the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Nanning are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nanning gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.