Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shaoxing Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shaoxing

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $765 in Shaoxing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,217 in Shaoxing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,668 in Shaoxing.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Shaoxing, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Shaoxing 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.70 ¥24.79

23.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$22.25 ¥149

46.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.05 ¥33.84

76.24%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.58 ¥17.28

8.53%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.56 ¥3.77

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.36 ¥2.42

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.13 ¥7.59

111.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.49 ¥16.68

49.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$2.00 ¥13.42

-10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.98 ¥13.28

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.74 ¥4.96

113.51%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.68 ¥11.24

26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.29 ¥75.7

76.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.34 ¥22.36

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.53 ¥70.6

7.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.76 ¥11.81

67.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.76 ¥11.76

-2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.62 ¥10.85

43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.06 ¥7.13

96.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.84 ¥5.64

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.96 ¥6.41

41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.61 ¥4.07

80.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.70 ¥4.70

-18.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.28 ¥21.97

30.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$10.38 ¥69.5

77.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.75 ¥5.03

149.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.62 ¥10.82

80.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.23 ¥1.54

865.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$19.87 ¥133

15.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.90 ¥12.75

59.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.43 ¥2.90

148.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$8.66 ¥58.0

-54.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.28 ¥8.57

16.41%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.5K ¥130.6K

39.25%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$18.5K ¥124.1K

48.27%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$47.67 ¥319

115.65%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$8.73 ¥58.5

25.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$8.98 ¥60.2

94.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$15.57 ¥104

243.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$6.87 ¥46.07

63.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.87 ¥46.06

8.88%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$831 ¥5,567

-32.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$24.8K ¥166.3K

-52.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$39.69 ¥266

61.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$31.07 ¥208

-6.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$74.7 ¥501

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$106 ¥711

-14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$423 ¥2,834

72.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$227 ¥1,524

119.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$591 ¥3,958

253.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$445 ¥2,980

171.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$6,402 ¥42.9K

-43.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$3,627 ¥24.3K

-30.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$897 ¥6,008

-43.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.35

66.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $423 in Shaoxing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaoxing pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Shaoxing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $206 per month, with Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shaoxing is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Shaoxing. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $423 in Shaoxing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $831 in Shaoxing. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in Shaoxing versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.