Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhangzhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhangzhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $713 in Zhangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Zhangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,573 in Zhangzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Zhangzhou 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.85 ¥19.49

61.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$21.93 ¥150

113.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$4.99 ¥34.10

74.35%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$3.08 ¥21.02

-5.19%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.47 ¥3.21

44.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.29 ¥1.99

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.87 ¥5.94

188.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.15 ¥14.67

76.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.81 ¥12.38

19.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.59 ¥10.87

18.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.95 ¥6.47

127.37%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.59 ¥10.85

39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$12.72 ¥86.9

53.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.23 ¥22.06

17.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.41 ¥71.1

28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.86 ¥12.68

75.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.27 ¥8.64

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.48 ¥10.12

56.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.14 ¥7.78

80.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.69 ¥4.72

133.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.97 ¥6.65

48.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.55 ¥3.78

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.55 ¥3.76

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.10 ¥21.17

45.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$10.77 ¥73.5

78.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.74 ¥5.04

145.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.58 ¥10.81

70.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.29 ¥2.00

375.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$16.96 ¥116

-30.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.35 ¥9.22

130.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.33 ¥2.22

203.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.71 ¥45.86

104.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.17 ¥7.96

11.11%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$19.4K ¥132.2K

41.34%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$17.3K ¥117.8K

91.37%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$45.62 ¥312

173.74%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$9.69 ¥66.2

41.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$11.87 ¥81.1

56.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$41.38 ¥283

46.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$13.90 ¥94.9

23.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$5.76 ¥39.36

56.42%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$337 ¥2,300

107.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$17.0K ¥116.2K

-5.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$43.28 ¥296

36.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$29.84 ¥204

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$72.1 ¥492

58.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$71.9 ¥491

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$275 ¥1,881

124.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$194 ¥1,328

124.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$598 ¥4,087

246.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$353 ¥2,414

326.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$3,044 ¥20.8K

23.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$2,003 ¥13.7K

34.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $22 in Zhangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $199 per month, with Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhangzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,870 in Phuket and $1,069 in Zhangzhou 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: $619 in Phuket versus $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $337 in Zhangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $713 in Zhangzhou versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhangzhou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhangzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou 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 Zhangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.