Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shijiazhuang

For one person, living is cheaper in Shijiazhuang: $682 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Shijiazhuang
Learn more

Shijiazhuang Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Shijiazhuang

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Shijiazhuang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Shijiazhuang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $682 in Shijiazhuang.

Phuket $1,208
Shijiazhuang $682

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,021 in Shijiazhuang.

Phuket $2,027
Shijiazhuang $1,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,359 in Shijiazhuang.

Phuket $2,845
Shijiazhuang $1,359

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than in Shijiazhuang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Shijiazhuang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$1.76 ¥11.80

150.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$18.64 ¥125

73.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.68 ¥37.97

54.23%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$3.27 ¥21.89

-13.46%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.48 ¥3.19

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.27 ¥1.82

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$0.78 ¥5.23

226.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.71 ¥11.42

123.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.26 ¥8.44

37.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.16 ¥7.78

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.68 ¥4.53

122.06%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.29 ¥8.61

68.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$16.50 ¥110

19.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.63 ¥17.58

27.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.67 ¥64.7

15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.66 ¥11.10

71.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.23 ¥8.24

38.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.77 ¥5.17

184.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.19 ¥7.95

72.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.63 ¥4.21

130.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.62 ¥4.16

122.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.68 ¥4.56

57.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.43 ¥2.88

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.80 ¥25.39

12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$3.83 ¥25.58

385.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.71 ¥4.78

150.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$0.77 ¥5.17

270.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.31 ¥2.08

629.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$17.67 ¥118

25.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.23 ¥8.20

144.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.37 ¥2.50

186.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$3.56 ¥23.81

8.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.24 ¥8.30

16.94%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$19.7K ¥131.4K

33.95%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$17.3K ¥116.0K

55.33%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$95.2 ¥637

1.21%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$4.40 ¥29.42

150.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$6.60 ¥44.16

159.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$13.69 ¥91.5

281.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$15.08 ¥101

-25.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.56 ¥37.19

40.47%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$369 ¥2,467

50.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$5,270 ¥35.2K

119.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$50.8 ¥339

26.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$26.12 ¥175

9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$74.6 ¥499

27.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$52.8 ¥353

66.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$300 ¥2,006

145.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$184 ¥1,231

151.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$419 ¥2,802

399.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$279 ¥1,864

330.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,534 ¥16.9K

37.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,709 ¥11.4K

47.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$808 ¥5,400

-38.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.31

68.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shijiazhuang: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Shijiazhuang

$184 27% 60.2% $278

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Shijiazhuang

$172 25.3% 35.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Shijiazhuang

$106 15.6% 14.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Shijiazhuang

$92 13.5% 26.1% $32

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Shijiazhuang

$81 11.8% 33.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Shijiazhuang

$25 3.6% 63.4% $43

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Shijiazhuang

$22 3.2% 44.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $300 in Shijiazhuang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shijiazhuang pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Shijiazhuang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $172 per month, with Shijiazhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,235,086

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Shijiazhuang 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Shijiazhuang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shijiazhuang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shijiazhuang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Shijiazhuang. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $300 in Shijiazhuang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $369 in Shijiazhuang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Shijiazhuang versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shijiazhuang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shijiazhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.