Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Putian Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Putian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $524 in Putian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $853 in Putian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,183 in Putian.

Living in Phuket is roughly 139% more expensive than in Putian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Putian 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.25 ¥15.11

102.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$23.31 ¥156

39.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.36 ¥35.89

66.04%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.53 ¥16.98

10.67%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.44 ¥2.92

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.31 ¥2.09

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.76 ¥5.08

214.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.93 ¥19.65

26.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.53 ¥10.24

16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.26 ¥15.16

-36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.99 ¥6.65

59.60%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.62 ¥10.85

31.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.91 ¥79.8

67.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.44 ¥16.35

40.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.06 ¥80.8

-6.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.61 ¥17.50

13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.43 ¥9.58

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.66 ¥11.14

39.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.02 ¥13.53

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.94 ¥6.32

56.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.84 ¥12.33

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.87 ¥5.86

26.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.54 ¥3.60

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.05 ¥20.41

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$10.96 ¥73.5

68.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.84 ¥5.64

122.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.71 ¥11.48

70.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.72 ¥4.85

208.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$21.92 ¥147

4.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.46 ¥9.81

107.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.31 ¥2.08

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.93 ¥46.46

-43.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.27 ¥8.52

17.32%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.1K ¥127.9K

42.08%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$17.2K ¥115.3K

59.56%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$43.23 ¥290

137.80%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$8.56 ¥57.4

28.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$10.20 ¥68.4

71.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$10.15 ¥68.0

-26.31%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$481 ¥3,221

15.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$23.9K ¥159.9K

-50.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$39.04 ¥262

64.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$29.01 ¥194

0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$105 ¥702

-8.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$86.9 ¥582

3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,607 ¥17.5K

37.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,136 ¥7,615

121.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$477 ¥3,194

5.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Putian: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Putian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $217 per month, with Putian 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 Putian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putian is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 139% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $481 in Putian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $524 in Putian versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Putian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Putian is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Putian 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 Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.