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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $585 in Taiyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $904 in Taiyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,224 in Taiyuan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 116% more expensive than in Taiyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Taiyuan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.29 ¥15.37

103.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$14.98 ¥100

115.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.59 ¥30.77

89.11%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.62 ¥17.53

10.69%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.47 ¥3.12

78.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.29 ¥1.93

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.22 ¥8.18

103.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.14 ¥14.32

74.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.81 ¥5.43

100.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.94 ¥6.33

138.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$12.94 ¥86.7

-12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.86 ¥12.47

55.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.31 ¥8.76

31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.85 ¥5.66

167.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.11 ¥7.46

91.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.49 ¥3.27

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.31 ¥2.10

358.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.46 ¥3.10

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.05 ¥20.43

41.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.67 ¥51.4

142.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.87 ¥5.81

106.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.45 ¥9.69

104.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.31 ¥2.10

625.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$13.21 ¥88.5

77.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.21 ¥8.09

156.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.23 ¥1.53

369.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.76 ¥25.17

2.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.18 ¥7.90

21.19%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$19.5K ¥130.5K

42.59%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$17.5K ¥117.1K

54.29%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$95.1 ¥637

10.21%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$10.45 ¥70.0

9.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$12.77 ¥85.5

37.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$45.40 ¥304

19.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$8.79 ¥58.9

30.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.56 ¥43.93

18.60%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$27.82 ¥186

128.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$67.7 ¥453

-56.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$75.4 ¥505

27.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$59.1 ¥396

52.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$222 ¥1,488

230.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$110 ¥737

355.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$536 ¥3,589

296.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$264 ¥1,770

373.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,675 ¥17.9K

32.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,223 ¥8,194

114.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$921 ¥6,168

-44.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.83

45.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $222 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taiyuan pays 81% 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 $15.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $102 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, Getting Around. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $222 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taiyuan – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Taiyuan runs roughly 78% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $585 in Taiyuan versus $1,265 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 116% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.