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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $718 in Panjin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $1,116 in Panjin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $1,515 in Panjin, rent included.

Phuket costs about 74% more than Panjin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Panjin are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 7% lower, Panjin 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$3.58 ¥24.46

28.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$13.88 ¥94.8

237.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$3.54 ¥24.17

145.76%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.99 ¥20.45

-2.34%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.36 ¥2.46

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.26 ¥1.78

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.81 ¥5.54

209.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.48 ¥10.14

156.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.43 ¥9.76

51.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.47 ¥10.04

27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.55 ¥3.73

292.73%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$0.87 ¥5.97

155.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$19.50 ¥133

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.40 ¥9.56

171.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.21 ¥69.8

31.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.24 ¥8.44

162.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.11 ¥7.58

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.27 ¥8.71

81.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$0.76 ¥5.22

171.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.53 ¥3.65

203.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.78 ¥5.30

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.60 ¥4.08

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.56 ¥3.85

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.40 ¥23.20

32.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$8.95 ¥61.1

114.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.44 ¥3.01

313.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.48 ¥10.11

81.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.27 ¥1.82

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.72 ¥114

-29.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$0.80 ¥5.46

288.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.33 ¥2.24

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$3.98 ¥27.18

245.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.10 ¥7.49

18.18%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$17.8K ¥121.9K

53.26%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$13.8K ¥94.5K

138.66%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$41.08 ¥281

203.99%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$4.26 ¥29.11

222.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$7.11 ¥48.54

161.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$41.62 ¥284

45.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$13.68 ¥93.4

25.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$6.51 ¥44.43

38.40%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$282 ¥1,928

147.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$9,398 ¥64.2K

71.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$42.43 ¥290

39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$50.7 ¥346

-31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$69.9 ¥477

63.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$95.5 ¥652

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$275 ¥1,877

125.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$191 ¥1,307

128.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$581 ¥3,966

257.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$358 ¥2,442

322.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$2,899 ¥19.8K

29.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$2,034 ¥13.9K

32.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$587 ¥4,007

-9.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.9

36.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Panjin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $275 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 11% 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 $47 in Phuket versus $14 in Panjin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $188 – 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 74% 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 $1,870 per month in Phuket and $1,076 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 55% 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $14.00 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 $718, than in Phuket at $1,247. 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 $718 versus $1,247 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.