Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yancheng Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yancheng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $695 in Yancheng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,134 in Yancheng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,573 in Yancheng.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Yancheng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Yancheng 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.97 ¥13.19

131.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$23.63 ¥159

38.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$2.99 ¥20.04

197.66%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.15 ¥21.16

-11.11%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.38 ¥2.56

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.21 ¥1.40

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.53 ¥10.28

56.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.95 ¥19.77

25.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.79 ¥12.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$2.09 ¥14.02

-31.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.08 ¥7.26

46.30%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.88 ¥12.64

13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.41 ¥90.0

48.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.46 ¥23.19

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$11.06 ¥74.2

2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.60 ¥17.46

13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.29 ¥8.68

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.59 ¥10.70

45.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.17 ¥7.82

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.62 ¥4.15

137.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.79 ¥5.31

72.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.63 ¥4.21

74.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.59 ¥3.93

-3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.34 ¥35.83

-20.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$11.66 ¥78.2

57.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.86 ¥5.79

117.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.24 ¥15.04

30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.34 ¥2.28

552.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$19.26 ¥129

18.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.53 ¥10.27

98.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.40 ¥2.68

167.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$8.98 ¥60.3

-56.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.25 ¥8.40

19.20%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.1K ¥128.2K

42.04%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$19.0K ¥127.7K

44.20%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$36.06 ¥242

185.08%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$11.65 ¥78.2

-5.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$11.14 ¥74.7

57.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$38.61 ¥259

38.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.06 ¥94.4

-20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.89 ¥39.55

26.99%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$434 ¥2,910

28.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$16.3K ¥109.3K

-27.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$35.58 ¥239

80.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$21.74 ¥146

33.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$64.7 ¥434

48.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$44.10 ¥296

104.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$289 ¥1,937

152.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$189 ¥1,268

164.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$663 ¥4,450

215.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$347 ¥2,331

248.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,179 ¥21.3K

13.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,944 ¥13.0K

29.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Yancheng: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $289 in Yancheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Yancheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $219 per month, with Yancheng 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 Yancheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yancheng is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,042 in Yancheng 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: $730 in Phuket versus $289 in Yancheng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $434 in Yancheng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Yancheng versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yancheng but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yancheng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yancheng 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 Yancheng 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 Yancheng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.