Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xiangyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xiangyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $709 in Xiangyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,140 in Xiangyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,571 in Xiangyang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than in Xiangyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$2.83 ¥19.18

60.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,563

$21.54 ¥146

115.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$4.82 ¥32.60

79.46%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.05 ¥20.65

1.31%

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

$0.68 ฿22.86

$0.43 ¥2.91

58.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$0.27 ¥1.82

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$0.94 ¥6.38

157.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.13 ¥14.41

78.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.78 ¥12.02

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.60 ¥10.81

13.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$0.96 ¥6.53

127.08%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$1.58 ¥10.70

41.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿672

$12.85 ¥86.9

55.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.26 ¥22.07

11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$10.07 ¥68.1

34.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.80 ¥12.17

82.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.21 ¥8.20

39.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.7

$1.53 ¥10.38

52.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.15 ¥7.75

76.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.76 ¥5.11

110.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.94 ¥6.37

58.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.13

$0.60 ¥4.05

68.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.07

$0.55 ¥3.70

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$3.22 ¥21.76

38.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$10.50 ¥71.1

77.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$0.79 ¥5.35

126.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

$1.58 ¥10.69

77.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.84

$0.27 ¥1.81

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$16.60 ¥112

-31.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.42 ¥9.64

117.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.15

$0.36 ¥2.40

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$6.79 ¥45.95

100.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.18

$1.12 ¥7.61

16.96%

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

$27.3K ฿919.6K

$19.1K ¥129.3K

42.71%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥117.0K

92.07%

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

$123 ฿4,152

$44.85 ¥303

174.60%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$9.56 ¥64.7

44.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$11.58 ¥78.3

59.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,035

$42.05 ¥284

43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$13.97 ¥94.5

20.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$5.82 ¥39.36

52.75%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$340 ¥2,300

101.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.2K

$17.1K ¥115.9K

-9.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,943

$43.48 ¥294

32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$30.93 ¥209

12.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,874

$71.9 ¥486

59.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,862

$70.9 ¥480

19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$276 ¥1,867

123.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$195 ¥1,321

126.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$597 ¥4,042

242.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$354 ¥2,394

325.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.3K

$3,081 ¥20.8K

15.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$2,055 ¥13.9K

22.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Xiangyang: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $276 in Xiangyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Xiangyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 per month, with Xiangyang 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 Xiangyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiangyang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,063 in Xiangyang to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $276 in Xiangyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $340 in Xiangyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Xiangyang versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Xiangyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Xiangyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Xiangyang 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 Xiangyang 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 Xiangyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.