Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tonghua Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tonghua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $710 in Tonghua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,116 in Tonghua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,521 in Tonghua.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than in Tonghua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.81 ¥18.97

61.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$20.55 ¥139

124.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.02 ¥33.89

76.10%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.92 ¥19.73

4.79%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.44 ¥2.96

65.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.27 ¥1.80

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.94 ¥6.37

158.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.03 ¥13.74

86.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.62 ¥10.96

39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.55 ¥10.46

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.96 ¥6.47

134.38%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.58 ¥10.67

42.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.01 ¥87.9

49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.21 ¥21.69

13.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.02 ¥67.7

30.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.72 ¥11.61

87.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.24 ¥8.41

30.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.41 ¥9.50

68.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.08 ¥7.31

87.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.73 ¥4.96

109.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.92 ¥6.24

63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.60 ¥4.07

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.50 ¥3.41

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.19 ¥21.58

39.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.96 ¥80.8

53.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.75 ¥5.08

148.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.63 ¥11.03

64.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.29 ¥1.98

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$16.69 ¥113

-29.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.43 ¥9.67

117.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.33 ¥2.21

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.59 ¥44.52

114.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.18 ¥7.97

11.02%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.1K ¥129.4K

45.26%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.4K ¥111.1K

102.12%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$45.78 ¥309

167.45%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.63 ¥65.1

41.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.40 ¥77.0

64.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$41.33 ¥279

46.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$14.02 ¥94.7

21.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.29 ¥42.53

44.20%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$335 ¥2,262

111.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$17.2K ¥116.1K

-7.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.90 ¥290

36.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.63 ¥207

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$71.6 ¥484

61.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$74.8 ¥505

11.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$283 ¥1,911

121.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$190 ¥1,286

133.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$583 ¥3,938

250.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$362 ¥2,444

312.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,060 ¥20.7K

13.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,832 ¥12.4K

40.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$502 ¥3,390

-0.38%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $283 in Tonghua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonghua pays 0% 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 Tonghua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $198 per month, with Tonghua 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 Tonghua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonghua is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Tonghua. 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 $283 in Tonghua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $335 in Tonghua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Tonghua versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tonghua but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tonghua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tonghua 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 Tonghua 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 Tonghua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.