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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $700 in Nanning.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,090 in Nanning.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,480 in Nanning.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than Nanning, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nanning 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.81 ¥19.28

64.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$19.16 ¥131

144.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$5.07 ¥34.70

74.36%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.26 ¥15.50

32.74%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.51 ¥3.49

45.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.25 ¥1.70

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$0.80 ¥5.48

205.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.34 ¥16.03

54.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.69 ¥11.59

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.10 ¥7.55

67.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.03 ¥7.07

117.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.53 ¥10.50

51.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$9.31 ¥63.8

111.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.30 ¥22.58

10.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$15.22 ¥104

-13.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.86 ¥12.77

82.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.10 ¥7.56

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.18 ¥8.11

104.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.63 ¥11.16

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.91 ¥6.23

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.08 ¥7.40

38.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.44 ¥2.99

131.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.54 ¥3.72

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.49 ¥23.91

27.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$14.57 ¥99.8

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$0.89 ¥6.07

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.84 ¥12.62

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.51 ¥3.51

174.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$14.46 ¥99.1

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.29 ¥8.81

141.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.39 ¥2.68

156.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$7.76 ¥53.2

81.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.14 ¥7.82

18.42%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$21.6K ¥147.9K

25.94%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$12.7K ¥86.7K

159.97%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$40.21 ¥275

210.82%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$13.13 ¥90.0

3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$10.78 ¥73.8

71.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$69.1 ¥473

-11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$6.89 ¥47.17

144.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$5.73 ¥39.24

60.38%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$298 ¥2,040

134.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$13.9K ¥95.2K

12.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$18.85 ¥129

206.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$28.25 ¥193

24.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$65.6 ¥449

72.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$104 ¥713

-17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$234 ¥1,604

162.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$147 ¥1,005

203.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$353 ¥2,415

480.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$277 ¥1,895

439.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$3,469 ¥23.8K

8.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,399 ¥9,583

89.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$663 ¥4,544

-21.03%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Nanning: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $234 in Nanning. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanning pays 27% 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 $292 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $700 including rent). Nanning is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Nanning earns 27% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $234 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 26% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $298 in Nanning. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $700 in Nanning versus $1,232 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 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.