Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tianjin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tianjin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $783 in Tianjin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Tianjin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,707 in Tianjin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than Tianjin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tianjin 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.23 ¥28.62

11.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$28.12 ¥190

61.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.67 ¥38.35

48.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.17 ¥21.48

-7.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.47 ¥3.20

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.27 ¥1.82

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.83 ¥5.59

190.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.90 ¥12.85

95.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.85 ¥12.51

20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.79 ¥12.13

2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.14 ¥7.70

90.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.18 ¥7.97

87.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$15.22 ¥103

29.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.87 ¥19.39

26.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.38 ¥63.5

44.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.28 ¥8.63

156.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.29 ¥8.72

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.33 ¥8.98

81.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.14 ¥7.74

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.79 ¥5.36

93.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.92 ¥6.23

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.73 ¥4.94

35.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.80 ¥5.43

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.92 ¥26.53

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$13.10 ¥88.6

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.16 ¥7.87

53.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.34 ¥15.83

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.29 ¥1.97

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$11.31 ¥76.5

0.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.42 ¥9.60

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.35 ¥2.39

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.34 ¥42.88

122.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.16 ¥7.86

17.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$16.4K ¥110.9K

72.10%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.2K ¥130.2K

71.02%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$84.9 ¥575

43.38%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.10 ¥68.4

34.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$6.83 ¥46.25

168.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$13.80 ¥93.4

336.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.60 ¥37.90

206.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.10 ¥41.30

42.46%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$547 ¥3,706

26.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$18.6K ¥126.1K

-15.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$39.78 ¥269

49.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$28.79 ¥195

20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$75.2 ¥509

52.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$69.0 ¥467

20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$350 ¥2,370

75.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$232 ¥1,573

88.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,042 ¥7,055

100.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$481 ¥3,259

213.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$5,331 ¥36.1K

-29.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,347 ¥15.9K

11.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,150 ¥7,785

-55.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.62

15.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tianjin: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $350 in Tianjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tianjin pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Tianjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $212 per month, with Tianjin 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 Tianjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tianjin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tianjin earns 126% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $350 in Tianjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $547 in Tianjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Tianjin versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tianjin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tianjin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tianjin 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 Tianjin 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 Tianjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.