Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quang Ngai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quang Ngai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $543 in Quang Ngai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $854 in Quang Ngai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,165 in Quang Ngai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 127% more expensive than Quang Ngai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Quang Ngai 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.04 ₫27.2K

345.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.35 ₫297.7K

312.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.68 ₫122.7K

88.89%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.62 ₫42.6K

85.19%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.32 ₫8,518

131.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.20 ₫5,206

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.06 ₫27.9K

130.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.52 ₫39.9K

137.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.41 ₫37.0K

60.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.95 ₫25.0K

93.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.73 ₫19.2K

206.85%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.18 ₫30.9K

96.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.49 ₫327.7K

57.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.04 ₫79.8K

20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.17 ₫266.8K

28.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.62 ₫68.8K

29.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.93 ₫24.4K

76.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.08 ₫28.4K

123.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.05 ₫27.5K

93.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.11 ₫29.1K

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.15 ₫30.2K

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.00 ₫26.2K

2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.48 ₫12.5K

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.18 ₫31.0K

277.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.45 ₫143.0K

246.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.68 ₫17.7K

161.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$0.71 ₫18.6K

287.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.35 ₫9,052

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$6.54 ₫171.6K

75.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.84 ₫22.0K

271.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.70 ₫18.3K

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.72 ₫71.3K

418.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.87 ₫22.7K

55.17%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.5K ₫695.4M

2.56%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K ₫746.2M

15.76%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$64.8 ₫1.7M

92.78%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.98 ₫156.9K

126.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.13 ₫213.4K

127.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.60 ₫566.8K

184.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.52 ₫197.2K

123.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.00 ₫78.7K

206.33%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$153 ₫4.0M

355.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$13.1K ₫343.5M

19.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$38.88 ₫1.0M

48.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$25.25 ₫662.5K

39.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$52.5 ₫1.4M

115.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$76.4 ₫2.0M

13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$140 ₫3.7M

341.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$107 ₫2.8M

318.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$321 ₫8.4M

537.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$207 ₫5.4M

620.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,258 ₫85.5M

15.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,387 ₫36.4M

90.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$216 ₫5.7M

142.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.67

-50.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Quang Ngai: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $140 in Quang Ngai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 142% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Quang Ngai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $174 per month, with Quang Ngai 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 Quang Ngai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quang Ngai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 142% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $140 in Quang Ngai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $153 in Quang Ngai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $543 in Quang Ngai versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quang Ngai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quang Ngai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quang Ngai 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 Quang Ngai 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 Quang Ngai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.