Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xiangyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiangyang: $718 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Xiangyang, China
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Xiangyang
🇨🇳 China
$718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Xiangyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Xiangyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $718 in Xiangyang.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Xiangyang $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,139 in Xiangyang.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Xiangyang $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,560 in Xiangyang.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Xiangyang $1,560

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than in Xiangyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.85 ¥18.95
56.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$21.60 ¥144
50.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.97 ¥33.05
77.26%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.97 ¥19.78
-4.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$0.46 ¥3.09
89.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.27 ¥1.79
81.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$0.94 ¥6.23
172.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.06 ¥13.68
78.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.81 ¥12.06
-8.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$1.62 ¥10.76
-9.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.89 ¥5.92
68.54%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.61 ¥10.69
29.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$13.04 ¥86.7
46.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$3.22 ¥21.41
2.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$10.01 ¥66.6
8.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$1.88 ¥12.50
55.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.27 ¥8.42
33.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.47 ¥9.79
53.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.10 ¥7.33
89.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.74 ¥4.91
104.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$0.89 ¥5.89
55.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$0.57 ¥3.77
87.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$0.52 ¥3.43
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.17 ¥21.11
32.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.38 ¥69.0
81.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$0.75 ¥5.02
142.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.66 ¥11.05
71.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$0.29 ¥1.94
400.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
$16.72 ¥111
238.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.35 ¥8.99
123.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$0.33 ¥2.18
209.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$6.49 ¥43.16
-43.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.14 ¥7.57
28.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$19.4K ¥128.9K
38.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$17.1K ¥113.5K
56.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$45.27 ¥301
112.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$10.08 ¥67.1
11.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$11.65 ¥77.5
44.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$41.24 ¥274
63.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$14.17 ¥94.3
-24.28%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.06 ¥40.32
23.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$338 ¥2,249
40.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$16.5K ¥110.0K
-31.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$44.44 ¥296
40.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$30.59 ¥203
-7.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$71.2 ¥474
32.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$73.0 ¥485
17.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$274 ¥1,822
161.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$194 ¥1,293
152.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$584 ¥3,883
230.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$366 ¥2,436
290.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$3,062 ¥20.4K
36.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,059 ¥13.7K
47.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Xiangyang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.89
43.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Xiangyang: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Xiangyang
$194 60.4% $297
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Xiangyang
$198 25.5% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Xiangyang
$67 46.2% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Xiangyang
$99 19.1% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Xiangyang
$85 30% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Xiangyang
$53 35.1% $29
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Xiangyang
$21 70.4% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $274 in Xiangyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $22 in Xiangyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $198 per month, with Xiangyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇳 Xiangyang
🕒 Local time
03:24 3:24 AM
04:24 4:24 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
5,500,307
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Xiangyang 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Xiangyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Xiangyang cheaper than Phuket?
Xiangyang is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,076 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Xiangyang?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $274 in Xiangyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $338 in Xiangyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Xiangyang?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Xiangyang?
At $718 in Xiangyang versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Xiangyang?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Xiangyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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