Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shenzhen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shenzhen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,032 in Shenzhen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,649 in Shenzhen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,266 in Shenzhen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than in Shenzhen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shenzhen 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.13 ¥21.13

45.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$27.60 ¥187

67.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.87 ¥32.92

81.52%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.32 ¥22.43

-7.83%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.48 ¥3.27

52.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.28 ¥1.89

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.21 ¥8.21

100.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.77 ¥18.73

36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.75 ¥11.81

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.97 ¥13.31

-8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.18 ¥7.96

90.68%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.92 ¥12.94

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.69 ¥85.8

53.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.93 ¥26.56

-7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.38 ¥90.4

-2.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.87 ¥12.61

72.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.46 ¥9.89

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.82 ¥12.27

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.39 ¥9.42

46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.09 ¥7.39

40.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 ¥9.59

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.75 ¥5.04

30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.57 ¥3.84

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.39 ¥22.91

30.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.61 ¥85.2

45.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.93 ¥6.26

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.90 ¥12.86

41.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.44 ¥2.97

220.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$22.23 ¥150

-47.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.69 ¥11.39

84.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.37 ¥2.53

181.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.75 ¥45.58

109.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.14 ¥7.70

14.91%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.7K ¥153.4K

22.51%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ¥139.7K

60.63%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$65.3 ¥442

87.39%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.39 ¥56.7

61.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$13.08 ¥88.4

42.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$50.9 ¥344

18.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$17.60 ¥119

-3.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.08 ¥47.82

28.11%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$467 ¥3,154

51.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$20.7K ¥139.8K

-23.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$48.53 ¥328

20.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.27 ¥205

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$74.7 ¥505

54.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$79.3 ¥536

5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$732 ¥4,945

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$410 ¥2,773

8.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,699 ¥11.5K

20.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$910 ¥6,148

64.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$12.9K ¥87.3K

-73.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$6,000 ¥40.5K

-57.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,720 ¥11.6K

-70.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.04

31.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shenzhen: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $732 in Shenzhen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays 244% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Shenzhen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $229 per month, with Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shenzhen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 244% lower in Shenzhen. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $732 in Shenzhen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $467 in Shenzhen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,032 in Shenzhen versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shenzhen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shenzhen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.