Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tengzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tengzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $713 in Tengzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,136 in Tengzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,558 in Tengzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than Tengzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tengzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.75 ¥18.64

70.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.39 ¥145

112.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.85 ¥32.83

73.81%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.99 ¥20.23

-2.01%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.47 ¥3.20

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.81

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.88 ¥5.93

173.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.08 ¥14.08

78.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.79 ¥12.12

24.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.59 ¥10.77

15.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.89 ¥6.01

143.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.59 ¥10.79

38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.78 ¥86.6

54.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.26 ¥22.07

11.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.03 ¥68.0

34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.81 ¥12.24

81.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.20 ¥8.13

34.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.54 ¥10.41

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.13 ¥7.67

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.69 ¥4.70

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.97 ¥6.56

52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.55 ¥3.76

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.51 ¥3.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.17 ¥21.49

39.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.47 ¥70.9

85.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.78 ¥5.31

128.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.60 ¥10.83

69.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.29 ¥1.97

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.87 ¥114

-32.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.36 ¥9.18

122.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.33 ¥2.22

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.67 ¥45.14

111.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.12 ¥7.58

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.1K ¥129.2K

47.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.1K ¥115.5K

92.90%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$45.25 ¥306

168.95%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.65 ¥65.4

40.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.88 ¥80.5

54.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$41.36 ¥280

45.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.04 ¥95.1

22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.85 ¥39.60

48.55%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$333 ¥2,252

108.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$16.9K ¥114.2K

-6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$44.24 ¥300

34.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.24 ¥205

14.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.5 ¥478

62.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$70.5 ¥478

18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$277 ¥1,874

121.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$189 ¥1,283

130.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$597 ¥4,046

250.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$359 ¥2,430

320.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,023 ¥20.5K

24.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,032 ¥13.8K

28.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tengzhou: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $277 in Tengzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Tengzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $197 per month, with Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tengzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,070 in Tengzhou 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: $613 in Phuket versus $277 in Tengzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $333 in Tengzhou. 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 $713 in Tengzhou versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tengzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tengzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou 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 Tengzhou 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.