Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qinhuangdao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qinhuangdao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $725 in Qinhuangdao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,135 in Qinhuangdao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Qinhuangdao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Qinhuangdao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qinhuangdao 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$2.80 ¥18.97

61.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,567

$21.93 ¥148

111.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$5.00 ¥33.85

73.00%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.04 ¥20.57

1.64%

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

$0.68 ฿22.93

$0.47 ¥3.18

44.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.46

$0.29 ¥1.97

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$0.88 ¥5.98

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$2.06 ¥13.95

84.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.6

$1.87 ¥12.64

16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.63 ¥11.01

11.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.6

$0.91 ¥6.13

139.56%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.52 ¥10.31

47.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿674

$12.82 ¥86.8

55.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.12 ¥21.12

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿459

$10.32 ¥69.8

31.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.81 ¥12.23

81.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.22 ¥8.24

38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.9

$1.54 ¥10.41

51.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.5

$1.14 ¥7.71

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$0.75 ¥5.09

113.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$0.95 ¥6.45

56.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.23

$0.57 ¥3.84

77.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.12

$0.51 ¥3.43

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$3.08 ¥20.82

44.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿630

$10.62 ¥71.9

75.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.4

$0.78 ¥5.28

129.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.5

$1.59 ¥10.73

76.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.99

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿383

$16.61 ¥112

-31.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿105

$1.43 ¥9.68

116.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.25

$0.32 ¥2.20

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿461

$6.66 ¥45.10

104.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.31

$1.13 ¥7.68

15.93%

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

$27.3K ฿922.3K

$19.8K ¥133.9K

37.87%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.1K ¥115.5K

94.57%

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

$123 ฿4,164

$44.27 ¥300

178.20%

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

$13.81 ฿467

$9.55 ¥64.6

44.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿626

$11.58 ¥78.4

59.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,041

$41.46 ¥281

45.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿568

$13.96 ¥94.5

20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿301

$5.94 ¥40.22

49.66%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$333 ¥2,256

105.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿525.7K

$17.1K ¥115.7K

-9.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,949

$43.29 ¥293

33.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,172

$30.89 ¥209

12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$73.0 ¥494

57.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,871

$70.5 ¥477

20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.9K

$273 ¥1,848

126.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$191 ¥1,293

131.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.2K

$580 ¥3,925

252.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.9K

$366 ¥2,473

312.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.6K

$3,051 ¥20.6K

16.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.9K

$2,037 ¥13.8K

23.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Qinhuangdao: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $273 in Qinhuangdao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Qinhuangdao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $199 per month, with Qinhuangdao 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 Qinhuangdao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qinhuangdao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,088 in Qinhuangdao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $273 in Qinhuangdao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $333 in Qinhuangdao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Qinhuangdao versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qinhuangdao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qinhuangdao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qinhuangdao 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 Qinhuangdao 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 Qinhuangdao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.