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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $719 in Zhangzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,142 in Zhangzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,565 in Zhangzhou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than Zhangzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zhangzhou 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.78 ¥18.78

69.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$21.22 ¥144

113.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.74 ¥32.05

77.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.08 ¥20.87

-4.87%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.47 ¥3.16

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.27 ¥1.82

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.93 ¥6.28

159.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.03 ¥13.76

83.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.88 ¥12.70

18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.60 ¥10.83

14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.97 ¥6.54

123.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.54 ¥10.44

43.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$12.86 ¥87.0

53.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.28 ¥22.21

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.24 ¥69.3

32.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.79 ¥12.11

83.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.25 ¥8.48

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.49 ¥10.07

61.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.13 ¥7.65

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.73 ¥4.96

109.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.89 ¥6.05

66.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.61 ¥4.12

62.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.51 ¥3.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.16 ¥21.38

39.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.40 ¥70.3

86.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.73 ¥4.95

143.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.67 ¥11.27

62.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.27 ¥1.81

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$16.56 ¥112

-31.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.42 ¥9.62

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.33 ¥2.20

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.51 ¥44.02

116.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.13 ¥7.66

20.35%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$19.8K ¥133.7K

42.67%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.9K ¥114.6K

94.28%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$45.97 ¥311

164.74%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$9.89 ¥66.9

37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.86 ¥80.3

54.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$41.48 ¥281

45.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$14.20 ¥96.0

20.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$5.89 ¥39.88

47.54%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$331 ¥2,240

109.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$16.7K ¥113.1K

-6.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$43.41 ¥294

37.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$30.47 ¥206

14.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$71.3 ¥482

60.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$72.7 ¥492

14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$275 ¥1,860

123.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$193 ¥1,304

126.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$591 ¥3,998

254.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$360 ¥2,436

319.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,009 ¥20.4K

24.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$2,044 ¥13.8K

27.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zhangzhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Zhangzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,079 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: $613 in Phuket versus $275 in Zhangzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $331 in Zhangzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Zhangzhou versus $1,265 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 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.