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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $664 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,080 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,495 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.75 ¥18.59

65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$22.67 ¥153

105.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.77 ¥32.26

77.57%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.01 ¥20.34

0.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.41 ¥2.80

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.26 ¥1.76

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.80 ¥5.43

211.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.42 ¥9.58

157.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.29 ¥15.52

-4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.08 ¥7.28

75.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.76 ¥5.17

189.47%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.54 ¥10.42

44.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.34 ¥63.2

114.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.77 ¥18.70

32.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$5.61 ¥37.90

136.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.14 ¥14.47

50.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.41 ¥9.54

20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.57 ¥10.64

52.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.17 ¥7.90

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.86 ¥5.79

84.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.80 ¥5.41

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.88 ¥5.94

17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.60 ¥4.09

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.26 ¥22.06

30.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$13.54 ¥91.6

38.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.86 ¥5.80

104.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.42 ¥9.61

94.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 ¥1.82

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$16.69 ¥113

-31.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.57 ¥10.65

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.36 ¥2.40

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$8.35 ¥56.4

64.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.10 ¥7.42

21.82%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

67.75%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$14.6K ¥98.9K

131.48%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$17.72 ¥120

597.46%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$10.84 ¥73.3

24.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.20 ¥75.7

66.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$54.7 ¥370

13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$13.85 ¥93.7

24.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.49 ¥37.15

66.48%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$280 ¥1,892

151.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$16.7K ¥112.6K

-4.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$42.18 ¥285

40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$33.26 ¥225

5.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$54.8 ¥371

110.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$56.6 ¥383

48.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$274 ¥1,850

126.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$184 ¥1,245

134.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$598 ¥4,042

244.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$362 ¥2,448

317.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,958 ¥20.0K

23.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,789 ¥12.1K

46.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $274 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $182 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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $996 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: $619 in Phuket versus $274 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $280 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 $664 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $1,261 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 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.