Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $610 in Yangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $992 in Yangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,374 in Yangzhou.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Yangzhou 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.12 ¥14.33

112.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$15.77 ¥107

195.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$3.52 ¥23.76

141.19%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.94 ¥19.88

4.76%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.51 ¥3.43

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.19 ¥1.30

89.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$0.71 ¥4.81

242.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$1.64 ¥11.09

121.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.06 ¥7.18

106.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.82 ¥5.51

120.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.99 ¥6.71

125.25%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.34 ¥9.03

67.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.56 ¥37.53

252.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.61 ¥17.60

42.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$8.97 ¥60.6

50.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.07 ¥7.26

214.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.41 ¥9.55

14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.87 ¥5.89

177.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.14 ¥7.72

74.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.72 ¥4.90

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.93 ¥6.25

55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.68 ¥4.61

48.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.54 ¥3.66

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.77 ¥18.69

54.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$9.77 ¥66.0

95.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.75 ¥5.04

145.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.41 ¥9.50

94.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.32 ¥2.19

343.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$16.60 ¥112

-29.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.42 ¥9.61

111.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.36 ¥2.41

191.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$3.36 ¥22.68

313.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.14 ¥7.69

13.16%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$19.7K ¥133.2K

42.14%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ¥114.7K

97.34%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$45.30 ¥306

169.27%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$7.47 ¥50.4

86.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$11.79 ¥79.7

60.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$41.62 ¥281

47.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$13.81 ¥93.3

21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.09 ¥41.17

45.98%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$447 ¥3,023

54.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$7,078 ¥47.8K

128.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$56.7 ¥383

1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$35.35 ¥239

0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$69.5 ¥470

63.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$82.3 ¥556

0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$234 ¥1,578

159.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$151 ¥1,018

197.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$555 ¥3,747

265.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$358 ¥2,419

316.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,510 ¥17.0K

42.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,760 ¥11.9K

46.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,280 ¥8,645

-60.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.1

71.94%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Yangzhou: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $234 in Yangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yangzhou pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Yangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $147 per month, with Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangzhou 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, Yangzhou earns 154% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $234 in Yangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $447 in Yangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $610 in Yangzhou versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yangzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yangzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou 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.