Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taiyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taiyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $610 in Taiyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,009 in Taiyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,407 in Taiyuan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 105% more expensive than in Taiyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Taiyuan 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.14 ¥14.50

112.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$21.30 ¥144

116.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.27 ¥28.86

107.03%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.35 ¥15.87

30.21%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.51 ¥3.44

43.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.30 ¥2.00

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.23 ¥8.29

97.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.04 ¥13.81

85.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.35 ¥9.14

67.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.74 ¥18.55

-33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.75 ¥5.08

200.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$0.89 ¥6.02

152.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.16 ¥95.8

37.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.84 ¥19.25

28.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.80 ¥73.1

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.03 ¥13.75

59.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.33 ¥9.03

21.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.75 ¥5.08

217.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.09 ¥7.41

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.49 ¥3.30

212.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 ¥2.75

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.40 ¥2.73

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.44 ¥2.97

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.03 ¥13.73

118.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.45 ¥50.4

145.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.73 ¥4.96

154.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.35 ¥9.14

98.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.27 ¥1.82

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$12.68 ¥85.8

-7.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.13 ¥7.67

175.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.21 ¥1.42

395.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$3.57 ¥24.13

295.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.10 ¥7.45

19.09%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$23.1K ¥156.6K

20.24%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.0K ¥135.0K

66.48%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$69.1 ¥468

77.17%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.42 ¥63.7

44.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.86 ¥80.3

57.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$41.69 ¥282

45.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$8.27 ¥56.0

105.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.71 ¥38.62

58.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$419 ¥2,839

68.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,243 ¥28.7K

272.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$24.22 ¥164

141.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$49.52 ¥335

-28.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$70.0 ¥474

64.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$66.2 ¥448

26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$207 ¥1,402

202.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$106 ¥719

319.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$518 ¥3,503

294.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$240 ¥1,621

522.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,639 ¥17.9K

31.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,221 ¥8,265

110.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$926 ¥6,265

-46.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.83

39.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $207 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taiyuan pays 85% 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 $21.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $194 per month, with Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiyuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Taiyuan. 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 $207 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $419 in Taiyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $610 in Taiyuan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiyuan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taiyuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.