Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panjin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panjin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $701 in Panjin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Phuket vs $1,120 in Panjin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,896 per month in Phuket vs $1,540 in Panjin, rent included.

Phuket costs about 80% more than Panjin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Panjin are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Panjin 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$2.94 ¥19.74

50.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$14.80 ¥99.4

136.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$3.61 ¥24.27

148.20%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.43 ¥16.32

23.46%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.35 ¥2.37

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.39 ¥2.59

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$0.92 ¥6.21

160.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$1.74 ¥11.68

115.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.45 ¥9.76

25.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$2.33 ¥15.66

-39.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.58 ¥3.87

167.24%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.92 ¥6.17

131.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$12.50 ¥84.0

58.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$1.52 ¥10.18

128.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$14.86 ¥99.8

-25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.47 ¥9.85

97.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.16 ¥7.80

43.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.63 ¥10.92

39.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.44 ¥9.68

45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.57 ¥3.85

157.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.01 ¥6.81

39.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.47 ¥3.14

131.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.66 ¥4.40

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.81 ¥25.58

17.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$16.57 ¥111

12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$0.47 ¥3.15

291.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.09 ¥7.29

170.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.29 ¥1.92

679.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$17.76 ¥119

29.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.88 ¥5.89

245.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.31 ¥2.09

251.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$2.93 ¥19.70

30.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.16 ¥7.80

28.45%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$19.5K ¥131.2K

40.46%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$14.8K ¥99.2K

86.20%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$45.14 ¥303

125.54%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$4.34 ¥29.15

159.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$7.63 ¥51.2

132.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$41.01 ¥275

32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$14.93 ¥100

-26.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$5.92 ¥39.74

32.60%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$300 ¥2,013

92.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$23.1K ¥155.1K

-49.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$43.83 ¥294

49.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$31.35 ¥211

-7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$59.5 ¥399

66.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$69.8 ¥469

29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$263 ¥1,769

186.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$206 ¥1,386

136.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$505 ¥3,390

313.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$362 ¥2,431

233.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$3,220 ¥21.6K

11.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,668 ¥11.2K

56.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$588 ¥3,948

-14.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.9

42.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Panjin: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Phuket versus $263 in Panjin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Panjin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Panjin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $213 – making Panjin 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 Panjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 80% more than Panjin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $1,051 in Panjin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 28% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Phuket and $15.00 in Panjin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panjin, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Panjin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panjin costs $701 versus $1,261 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Panjin. 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.