Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhangjiakou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhangjiakou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $736 in Zhangjiakou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Zhangjiakou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,597 in Zhangjiakou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than Zhangjiakou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zhangjiakou 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.05 ¥13.91

129.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,491

$27.35 ¥186

65.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$5.68 ¥38.51

48.42%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.3

$3.16 ¥21.47

-7.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.47 ¥3.17

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.07

$0.29 ¥1.98

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.2

$0.81 ¥5.52

197.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.94 ¥13.13

91.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.4

$1.65 ¥11.22

35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.2

$1.78 ¥12.06

2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.3

$0.95 ¥6.46

128.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.8

$0.94 ¥6.37

135.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿649

$14.13 ¥95.8

39.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.73 ¥18.48

32.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿445

$9.47 ¥64.3

42.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$1.22 ¥8.28

168.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$0.88 ¥5.95

82.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.2

$1.37 ¥9.27

75.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$1.08 ¥7.34

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.3

$0.79 ¥5.36

93.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.67

$0.58 ¥3.90

155.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.50

$0.53 ¥3.61

86.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.78

$0.83 ¥5.64

-38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$3.49 ¥23.69

26.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿637

$13.41 ¥91.0

44.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.5

$1.20 ¥8.17

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.1

$2.37 ¥16.06

14.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿45.07

$0.27 ¥1.82

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿375

$16.55 ¥112

-31.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.3

$0.93 ¥6.29

224.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.69

$0.30 ¥2.07

230.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$6.41 ¥43.50

119.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.10 ¥7.44

23.64%

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

$28.2K ฿927.0K

$16.5K ¥111.8K

71.04%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.5K ¥132.5K

68.48%

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

$122 ฿4,000

$86.8 ¥588

40.29%

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

$13.57 ฿446

$6.99 ¥47.42

94.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿602

$6.80 ¥46.12

169.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,979

$41.41 ¥281

45.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿563

$14.16 ¥96.0

21.05%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿286

$6.30 ¥42.72

37.94%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$316 ¥2,141

119.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿515.6K

$4,972 ¥33.7K

215.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,957

$39.82 ¥270

49.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,143

$29.45 ¥200

18.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,767

$76.7 ¥520

49.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,738

$55.3 ¥375

50.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.2K

$277 ¥1,881

121.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.4K

$186 ¥1,260

135.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.8K

$585 ¥3,968

257.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.6K

$362 ¥2,458

316.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.2K

$3,100 ¥21.0K

20.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿86.0K

$1,792 ¥12.2K

45.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$379 ¥2,569

34.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.35

22.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zhangjiakou: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $277 in Zhangjiakou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Zhangjiakou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $202 per month, with Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhangjiakou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 34% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $277 in Zhangjiakou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $316 in Zhangjiakou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Zhangjiakou versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhangjiakou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangjiakou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou 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 Zhangjiakou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.