Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xiamen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xiamen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $792 in Xiamen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,277 in Xiamen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,763 in Xiamen.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than Xiamen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Xiamen 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.76 ¥18.63

65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$23.19 ¥157

101.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.51 ¥37.28

53.72%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.82 ¥19.06

7.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.48 ¥3.25

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.31 ¥2.12

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.41 ¥9.50

76.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.46 ¥23.39

5.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.87 ¥12.65

16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.09 ¥14.16

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.81 ¥5.50

171.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.39 ¥9.40

59.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.02 ¥74.5

81.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.35 ¥15.89

55.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.16 ¥75.4

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.46 ¥16.62

31.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.38 ¥9.34

23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.50 ¥10.15

59.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.86 ¥12.57

11.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.97 ¥6.54

63.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.68 ¥11.37

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.81 ¥5.50

27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 ¥3.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.74 ¥18.53

55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.92 ¥73.8

72.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.78 ¥5.29

125.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.65 ¥11.17

67.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.22 ¥1.49

518.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$11.09 ¥75.0

2.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.41 ¥9.52

122.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.28 ¥1.90

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.66 ¥45.03

106.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.17 ¥7.91

14.53%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$16.6K ¥112.0K

67.07%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥117.2K

95.41%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$39.17 ¥265

215.52%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$10.06 ¥68.1

34.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$9.63 ¥65.1

94.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$44.79 ¥303

38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$9.77 ¥66.1

76.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.64 ¥65.2

-5.19%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$454 ¥3,070

54.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$22.7K ¥153.3K

-29.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$43.99 ¥297

35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.55 ¥186

27.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$83.3 ¥563

38.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.6 ¥531

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$329 ¥2,227

87.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$252 ¥1,706

71.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$862 ¥5,828

139.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$505 ¥3,417

199.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$8,426 ¥57.0K

-56.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,749 ¥32.1K

-44.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,148 ¥7,763

-55.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.56

49.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Xiamen: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $329 in Xiamen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xiamen 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Xiamen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $207 per month, with Xiamen 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 Xiamen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiamen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Xiamen 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: $619 in Phuket versus $329 in Xiamen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $454 in Xiamen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $792 in Xiamen versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Xiamen 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 Xiamen 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 Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.