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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $684 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,101 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,518 in Nanning.

Living in Phuket is roughly 85% more expensive than in Nanning, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Nanning 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.78 ¥18.76

61.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$18.96 ¥128

140.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.21 ¥35.17

68.14%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.28 ¥15.37

30.26%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.51 ¥3.44

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.25 ¥1.67

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$0.80 ¥5.39

216.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.32 ¥15.66

61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.72 ¥11.59

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.06 ¥7.13

71.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.02 ¥6.91

113.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.54 ¥10.38

46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.41 ¥63.5

112.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.26 ¥22.00

11.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$15.09 ¥102

-10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.94 ¥13.11

67.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.10 ¥7.42

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.21 ¥8.15

92.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.70 ¥11.50

21.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.85 ¥5.75

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.12 ¥7.60

30.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.46 ¥3.12

113.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.50 ¥3.38

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.54 ¥23.91

22.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$14.81 ¥100

25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.84 ¥5.70

121.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.83 ¥12.37

44.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.48 ¥3.24

195.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$14.35 ¥96.9

-19.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.23 ¥8.28

157.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.37 ¥2.47

178.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$7.85 ¥53.0

76.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.15 ¥7.79

16.52%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.1K ¥142.4K

31.80%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$12.6K ¥85.1K

164.91%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$40.01 ¥270

207.55%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$13.00 ¥87.8

5.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$10.89 ¥73.6

68.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$70.5 ¥476

-13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$6.90 ¥46.61

148.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.72 ¥38.67

55.07%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$301 ¥2,030

128.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$14.1K ¥95.0K

12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$18.89 ¥128

213.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$28.40 ¥192

22.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$63.9 ¥431

80.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$102 ¥687

-17.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$231 ¥1,563

168.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$141 ¥955

215.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$360 ¥2,434

464.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$276 ¥1,862

442.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,517 ¥23.8K

-1.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,446 ¥9,764

75.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$666 ¥4,502

-25.94%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nanning: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $231 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanning pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Nanning for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $208 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 85% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $684 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Nanning. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $231 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 24% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $301 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $684 in Nanning versus $1,264 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 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.