Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rizhao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rizhao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $748 in Rizhao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,178 in Rizhao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,608 in Rizhao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than Rizhao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rizhao 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.12 ¥21.14

50.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.14 ¥123

150.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.64 ¥31.41

81.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.84 ¥12.46

59.24%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.50 ¥3.42

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.20 ¥1.35

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.86 ¥5.83

180.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.10 ¥14.23

77.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.65 ¥11.18

35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.52 ¥10.29

20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.40 ¥2.73

442.50%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.80 ¥12.19

22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.84 ¥101

33.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.17 ¥28.26

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.16 ¥68.8

33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.32 ¥8.96

148.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.93 ¥6.32

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.73 ¥4.92

230.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.04 ¥7.04

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.73 ¥4.95

109.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.13 ¥7.65

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.96 ¥6.50

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.50 ¥3.39

2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.99 ¥27.05

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.19 ¥69.0

90.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.05 ¥7.08

69.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.54 ¥10.42

75.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 ¥1.83

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.74 ¥113

-31.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.14 ¥7.72

164.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.32 ¥2.14

209.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.12 ¥48.24

98.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.13 ¥7.64

20.35%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.8K ¥133.8K

42.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$13.6K ¥91.8K

142.80%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$52.1 ¥353

133.54%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$10.88 ¥73.7

24.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$10.49 ¥71.1

74.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$42.29 ¥286

42.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.78 ¥93.3

24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.82 ¥46.16

27.42%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$336 ¥2,274

106.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$17.2K ¥116.3K

-8.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$77.1 ¥522

-22.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.02 ¥257

-8.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$80.8 ¥547

41.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$101 ¥682

-17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$279 ¥1,889

119.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$190 ¥1,285

130.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$589 ¥3,989

255.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$365 ¥2,472

313.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,142 ¥21.3K

19.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,508 ¥10.2K

73.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.81

39.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rizhao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $279 in Rizhao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Rizhao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Rizhao 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 Rizhao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rizhao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,121 in Rizhao 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: $613 in Phuket versus $279 in Rizhao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $336 in Rizhao. 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 $748 in Rizhao versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rizhao 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 Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.