Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $671 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,069 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.78 ¥18.78

61.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$22.11 ¥149

106.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.84 ¥32.66

80.99%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.95 ¥19.95

0.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.41 ¥2.77

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.24 ¥1.62

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$0.85 ¥5.75

197.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.35 ¥9.14

177.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$2.33 ¥15.76

-7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.12 ¥7.58

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.75 ¥5.07

190.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.52 ¥10.27

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$8.91 ¥60.2

124.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.85 ¥19.24

27.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$5.59 ¥37.76

142.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.23 ¥15.08

45.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.39 ¥9.37

17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.61 ¥10.86

44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.16 ¥7.82

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.88 ¥5.97

76.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.81 ¥5.49

80.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.83 ¥5.58

18.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.57 ¥3.88

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.33 ¥22.49

30.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$13.28 ¥89.7

39.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.81 ¥5.46

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.43 ¥9.66

85.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$16.92 ¥114

-31.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.55 ¥10.45

104.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.36 ¥2.42

186.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$8.43 ¥56.9

64.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.13 ¥7.63

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$16.6K ¥111.9K

67.67%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$14.5K ¥97.9K

130.24%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$17.46 ¥118

604.75%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$10.87 ¥73.4

26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$11.01 ¥74.3

66.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$55.3 ¥374

9.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$13.89 ¥93.8

23.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.65 ¥38.13

56.99%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$278 ¥1,876

147.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

-6.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$42.24 ¥285

40.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$32.74 ¥221

5.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$55.6 ¥376

107.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$54.6 ¥369

53.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$279 ¥1,883

122.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$185 ¥1,246

141.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$590 ¥3,987

244.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$364 ¥2,457

311.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,915 ¥19.7K

18.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,932 ¥13.1K

31.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $279 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $181 per month, with Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,006 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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: $621 in Phuket versus $279 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $278 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.