Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanyang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $725 in Nanyang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $1,144 in Nanyang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $1,564 in Nanyang, rent included.

Phuket costs about 72% more than Nanyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nanyang are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 7% lower, Nanyang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.75 ¥18.75

66.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$21.81 ¥149

114.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$4.76 ¥32.48

82.77%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.99 ¥20.41

-2.34%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.43 ¥2.94

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.29 ¥2.00

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.92 ¥6.30

172.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.03 ¥13.86

87.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.78 ¥12.14

21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.62 ¥11.07

16.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.96 ¥6.57

125.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.56 ¥10.65

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$12.63 ¥86.3

54.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.21 ¥21.91

18.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.03 ¥68.5

33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.89 ¥12.93

72.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.25 ¥8.54

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.54 ¥10.50

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.14 ¥7.77

80.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.70 ¥4.81

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.94 ¥6.42

53.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.60 ¥4.06

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.55 ¥3.74

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.19 ¥21.82

41.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$10.47 ¥71.5

83.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.81 ¥5.51

124.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.58 ¥10.82

70.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.27 ¥1.82

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.79 ¥115

-29.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.41 ¥9.65

120.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.33 ¥2.22

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.53 ¥44.57

110.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.17 ¥8.02

11.11%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$19.8K ¥135.1K

38.31%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$17.5K ¥119.8K

88.25%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$45.34 ¥310

175.43%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$9.54 ¥65.2

44.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$11.77 ¥80.4

58.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$42.15 ¥288

43.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$14.08 ¥96.2

21.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$5.89 ¥40.23

52.97%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$339 ¥2,314

105.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$16.5K ¥112.7K

-2.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$43.58 ¥298

35.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$30.35 ¥207

14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$71.2 ¥486

60.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$72.3 ¥493

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$283 ¥1,933

118.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$196 ¥1,339

122.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$584 ¥3,988

255.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$358 ¥2,447

321.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$2,993 ¥20.4K

25.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$1,996 ¥13.6K

34.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Nanyang: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $283 in Nanyang. 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 $22 in Nanyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $198 – making Nanyang 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 Nanyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,247 in Phuket, $725 in Nanyang – roughly 72% 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 $1,088 in Nanyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,247 in Phuket and $725 in Nanyang. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Nanyang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanyang, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Phuket at $1,247. In Nanyang 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 $725 in Nanyang 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 Nanyang. 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.