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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $471 in Xianyang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $748 in Xianyang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,025 in Xianyang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 166% more expensive than in Xianyang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Xianyang 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.26 ¥15.15

101.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$16.86 ¥113

93.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.55 ¥30.49

95.60%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.15 ¥14.41

30.23%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.36 ¥2.40

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.29 ¥1.96

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.75 ¥5.04

218.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.45 ¥9.72

155.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.42 ¥9.51

26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.06 ¥7.07

35.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.72 ¥4.79

119.44%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.48 ¥9.88

43.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$9.63 ¥64.6

106.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$1.83 ¥12.27

87.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.25 ¥48.55

56.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.18 ¥7.87

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.07 ¥7.17

60.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.22 ¥8.19

90.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.62 ¥4.15

235.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.47 ¥3.12

212.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.61 ¥4.10

122.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.53 ¥3.58

107.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.60 ¥4.00

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.94 ¥19.69

45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.47 ¥50.1

146.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.44 ¥2.93

325.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.70 ¥11.37

71.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.29 ¥1.94

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.24 ¥8.29

144.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.29 ¥1.92

268.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$4.55 ¥30.51

-13.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.26 ¥8.42

18.25%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.2K ¥129.0K

40.94%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$11.9K ¥79.5K

131.41%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$36.18 ¥242

184.13%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$6.32 ¥42.35

73.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$10.59 ¥71.0

65.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$21.01 ¥141

154.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$2.60 ¥17.43

330.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.58 ¥37.41

34.05%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$335 ¥2,243

66.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$15.1K ¥101.0K

-21.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$38.55 ¥258

66.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$37.94 ¥254

-23.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$75.6 ¥507

26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$59.5 ¥399

51.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$117 ¥786

522.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$75.1 ¥504

565.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$223 ¥1,497

835.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$147 ¥983

724.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,322 ¥8,861

171.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$741 ¥4,968

238.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$595 ¥3,986

-15.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.35

66.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Xianyang: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $117 in Xianyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xianyang pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Xianyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $146 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, Getting Around. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Xianyang. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $117 in Xianyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $335 in Xianyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Xianyang – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $471 in Xianyang versus $1,253 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 166% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.