Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Weihai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Weihai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $603 in Weihai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $917 in Weihai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,231 in Weihai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 108% more expensive than in Weihai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Weihai 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.86 ¥19.34

59.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$16.84 ¥114

174.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.64 ¥31.33

90.52%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.35 ¥22.67

-8.66%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.47 ¥3.16

55.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.29 ¥1.95

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.80 ¥5.41

203.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.07 ¥13.97

82.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.33 ¥8.99

69.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.09 ¥7.38

66.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.90 ¥6.11

150.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.22 ¥8.25

84.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.93 ¥73.9

78.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.82 ¥25.80

-4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.37 ¥70.1

25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.98 ¥6.66

229.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.78 ¥5.30

107.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.36 ¥9.20

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.06 ¥7.16

91.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.40 ¥2.73

282.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 ¥2.75

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.68 ¥4.61

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.50 ¥3.40

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.73 ¥25.21

19.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.35 ¥49.70

149.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.40 ¥2.70

365.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.59 ¥10.76

68.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.20 ¥1.35

605.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$12.75 ¥86.2

-8.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.09 ¥7.33

185.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.20 ¥1.35

420.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.88 ¥46.51

105.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.06 ¥7.15

23.58%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.0K ¥128.6K

46.16%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$15.7K ¥106.3K

111.08%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$35.25 ¥238

247.35%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$6.93 ¥46.80

96.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.72 ¥52.2

142.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$42.37 ¥286

42.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$8.40 ¥56.7

102.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.60 ¥37.82

61.96%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$278 ¥1,879

154.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$17.3K ¥116.6K

-8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$75.3 ¥509

-22.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$28.30 ¥191

24.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$68.9 ¥466

67.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$41.87 ¥283

99.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$183 ¥1,238

241.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$132 ¥890

237.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$344 ¥2,321

493.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$186 ¥1,258

701.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,738 ¥11.7K

100.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,107 ¥7,479

132.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$599 ¥4,045

-16.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.5

52.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Weihai: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $183 in Weihai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Weihai pays 20% 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 $17.00 in Weihai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $167 per month, with Weihai 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 Weihai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Weihai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Weihai. 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 $183 in Weihai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $278 in Weihai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $603 in Weihai versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Weihai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Weihai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Weihai 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 Weihai 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 Weihai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.