Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhongshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhongshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $638 in Zhongshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Zhongshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,376 in Zhongshan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 98% more expensive than Zhongshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zhongshan 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.76 ¥18.66

70.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.90 ¥114

168.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.09 ¥27.71

106.11%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.73 ¥18.48

7.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.41 ¥2.77

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.82

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.72 ¥4.91

234.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.72 ¥11.64

116.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.82 ¥12.32

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.78 ¥12.06

2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.90 ¥6.12

141.11%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.56 ¥10.60

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.82 ¥86.8

53.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.71 ¥18.32

33.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.55 ¥85.0

7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.87 ¥12.66

75.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.93 ¥6.30

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.62 ¥4.18

288.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.34 ¥9.06

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.53 ¥3.59

188.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.71 ¥4.83

108.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.40 ¥2.68

147.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.51 ¥3.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.71 ¥18.34

62.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$13.12 ¥88.9

47.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.60 ¥4.09

196.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.83 ¥12.36

48.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.29 ¥1.98

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$13.73 ¥93.0

-17.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.26 ¥8.54

139.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.38 ¥2.55

160.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.74 ¥45.65

109.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.17 ¥7.90

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$22.7K ¥153.7K

24.31%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ¥138.4K

61.07%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$38.52 ¥261

215.94%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.47 ¥57.4

60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.90 ¥80.6

53.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$63.5 ¥430

-5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.12 ¥48.22

140.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.41 ¥36.65

60.63%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$296 ¥2,005

134.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$12.7K ¥86.1K

23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$44.75 ¥303

33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$31.02 ¥210

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$55.1 ¥373

107.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$70.1 ¥475

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$197 ¥1,332

211.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$117 ¥793

273.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$343 ¥2,320

511.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$196 ¥1,327

670.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,454 ¥16.6K

52.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,479 ¥10.0K

76.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$964 ¥6,527

-47.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.83

39.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $197 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 per month, with Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zhongshan earns 90% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $197 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $296 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $638 in Zhongshan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.