Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xianyang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xianyang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $628 in Xianyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $996 in Xianyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,363 in Xianyang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 101% more expensive than Xianyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Xianyang 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.14 ¥14.46

119.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.46 ¥111

175.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.33 ¥36.03

58.16%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.42 ¥23.10

-14.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.34 ¥2.28

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.26 ¥1.74

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.72 ¥4.87

234.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.70 ¥11.50

118.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.36 ¥9.21

63.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.96 ¥6.46

90.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.73 ¥4.94

197.26%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.68 ¥11.33

31.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.10 ¥61.5

116.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.66 ¥11.20

118.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.04 ¥47.59

92.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.09 ¥7.37

200.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.99 ¥6.67

62.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.27 ¥8.62

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.54 ¥3.63

285.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.43 ¥2.92

255.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.54 ¥3.63

174.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.55 ¥3.73

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.52 ¥3.53

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.77 ¥18.72

59.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.47 ¥50.5

159.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.41 ¥2.76

334.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.71 ¥11.56

58.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.29 ¥1.98

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.82 ¥114

-32.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.19 ¥8.06

153.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.33 ¥2.22

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.30 ¥29.10

227.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.12 ¥7.60

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.2K ¥129.5K

47.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$11.4K ¥76.8K

189.65%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$34.33 ¥232

254.50%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.95 ¥40.20

128.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.73 ¥65.8

88.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$42.52 ¥288

41.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.86 ¥93.7

23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.80 ¥32.48

81.04%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$308 ¥2,084

124.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$13.9K ¥94.3K

12.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$36.89 ¥249

61.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$37.17 ¥251

-6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$68.9 ¥466

66.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$56.6 ¥382

47.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$283 ¥1,916

116.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$185 ¥1,249

136.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$594 ¥4,016

252.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$367 ¥2,483

311.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,325 ¥8,959

182.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$728 ¥4,921

259.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$595 ¥4,025

-14.64%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Xianyang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $283 in Xianyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xianyang pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Xianyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $140 per month, with Xianyang 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 Xianyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xianyang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Xianyang earns 17% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $283 in Xianyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $308 in Xianyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $628 in Xianyang versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xianyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Xianyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Xianyang 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 Xianyang 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 Xianyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.