Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shenyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shenyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $668 in Shenyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,081 in Shenyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,494 in Shenyang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 89% more expensive than Shenyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shenyang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.71 ¥18.32

68.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.70 ¥140

125.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.93 ¥33.36

71.81%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.56 ¥17.31

18.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.48 ¥3.26

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.34 ¥2.31

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.81 ¥5.50

207.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.08 ¥14.06

75.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.96 ¥13.23

11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.96 ¥13.25

-3.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.99 ¥6.66

122.22%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.11 ¥7.49

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.98 ¥67.5

100.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.78 ¥18.77

31.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.03 ¥81.4

10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.39 ¥9.43

132.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.02 ¥6.89

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.86 ¥5.84

177.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.28 ¥8.65

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.47 ¥3.21

238.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.66 ¥4.47

124.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.40 ¥2.70

157.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.63 ¥4.24

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.07 ¥20.74

38.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$16.86 ¥114

11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.72 ¥4.90

144.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$0.90 ¥6.07

206.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.34 ¥2.30

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$12.00 ¥81.1

-5.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.28 ¥8.69

145.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.28 ¥1.91

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.58 ¥24.20

284.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.19 ¥8.05

12.61%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$18.3K ¥123.4K

51.64%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.0K ¥128.6K

78.06%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$66.4 ¥449

86.27%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$14.83 ¥100

-8.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$14.01 ¥94.7

33.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$21.11 ¥143

192.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.30 ¥42.58

173.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.00 ¥33.79

82.80%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$461 ¥3,116

52.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$24.9K ¥168.2K

-36.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$48.45 ¥328

22.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$31.22 ¥211

12.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$75.6 ¥511

52.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$79.6 ¥538

5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$231 ¥1,564

167.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$143 ¥970

201.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$518 ¥3,504

297.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$341 ¥2,305

343.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,294 ¥15.5K

58.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,315 ¥8,893

99.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,100 ¥7,441

-53.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.27

1.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shenyang: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $231 in Shenyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenyang pays 117% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Shenyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $201 per month, with Shenyang 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 Shenyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenyang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Shenyang earns 117% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $231 in Shenyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $461 in Shenyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $668 in Shenyang versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shenyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shenyang 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 Shenyang 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 Shenyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.