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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $717 in Tonghua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,129 in Tonghua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,541 in Tonghua.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tonghua 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.86 ¥19.39

64.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.25 ¥144

113.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.97 ¥33.66

69.62%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.09 ¥20.90

-5.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.47 ¥3.19

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

$0.87 ¥5.92

177.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.04 ¥13.81

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.55 ¥10.51

43.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.61 ¥10.91

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.88 ¥5.99

146.59%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.63 ¥11.05

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.76 ¥86.4

54.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.12 ¥21.11

16.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.06 ¥68.1

34.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.77 ¥12.02

85.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.20 ¥8.15

34.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 ¥9.16

78.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.09 ¥7.39

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.71 ¥4.82

115.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.98 ¥6.61

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.57 ¥3.83

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.55 ¥3.71

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.07 ¥20.82

43.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.23 ¥76.1

72.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.80 ¥5.40

122.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.64 ¥11.14

65.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 ¥1.80

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.43 ¥111

-30.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.41 ¥9.55

114.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 ¥2.39

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.72 ¥45.53

109.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.17 ¥7.90

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.4K ¥131.6K

45.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.6K ¥112.6K

97.83%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$46.29 ¥314

162.91%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.85 ¥66.7

37.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.76 ¥79.7

55.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$41.05 ¥278

46.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.94 ¥94.4

22.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.31 ¥42.75

37.72%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$341 ¥2,308

103.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$17.0K ¥115.2K

-7.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$43.34 ¥294

37.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.76 ¥208

13.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$71.2 ¥482

60.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$74.1 ¥502

12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$274 ¥1,854

124.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$184 ¥1,246

137.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$586 ¥3,967

257.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$361 ¥2,442

318.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,232 ¥21.9K

16.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,756 ¥11.9K

48.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$504 ¥3,414

0.82%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tonghua: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $274 in Tonghua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Tonghua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $195 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.

Phuket pays 1% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $274 in Tonghua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $341 in Tonghua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $717 in Tonghua versus $1,265 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.