Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nantong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nantong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $732 in Nantong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,211 in Nantong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Nantong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Nantong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Nantong 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.92 ¥19.58

51.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$23.95 ¥160

34.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.40 ¥29.50

102.95%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.75 ¥18.40

5.45%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.63 ¥4.24

39.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.31 ¥2.05

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.71 ¥4.73

230.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.27 ¥15.17

63.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.63 ¥10.90

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.50 ¥10.07

-2.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.82 ¥5.48

89.02%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.68 ¥11.28

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.88 ¥46.08

184.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.69 ¥24.73

-7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.25 ¥68.7

11.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.29 ¥15.31

30.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.29 ¥8.65

30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.56 ¥10.43

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.47 ¥9.86

46.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.72 ¥4.83

111.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.91 ¥6.08

47.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.67 ¥4.47

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.50 ¥3.34

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.25 ¥21.80

31.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.81 ¥59.0

116.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.75 ¥5.02

137.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.72 ¥11.53

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.21 ¥1.40

961.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$15.06 ¥101

51.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.99 ¥13.30

52.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.38 ¥2.56

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.82 ¥45.70

-42.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.16 ¥7.77

28.45%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$19.4K ¥129.8K

37.12%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.7K ¥125.6K

44.17%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$47.53 ¥318

115.59%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$7.43 ¥49.73

52.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$14.94 ¥100

16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$114 ¥765

-54.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$11.94 ¥80.0

-7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.52 ¥50.4

2.26%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$202 ¥1,356

176.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$12.0K ¥80.1K

-3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$59.8 ¥401

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$41.50 ¥278

-28.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$65.8 ¥440

49.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$110 ¥738

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$210 ¥1,405

251.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$142 ¥950

240.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$710 ¥4,753

196.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$343 ¥2,297

257.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,721 ¥24.9K

-2.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,204 ¥14.8K

18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,303 ¥8,728

-62.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.5

59.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Nantong: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $210 in Nantong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nantong pays 164% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Nantong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $181 per month, with Nantong 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 Nantong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Nantong differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $732 including rent). Nantong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Nantong. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $210 in Nantong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $202 in Nantong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $732 in Nantong versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nantong 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 Nantong 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 Nantong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.