Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zhongshan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Zhongshan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $695 in Zhongshan.

Phuket $1,208
Zhongshan $695

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Zhongshan.

Phuket $2,027
Zhongshan $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,525 in Zhongshan.

Phuket $2,845
Zhongshan $1,525

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Zhongshan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.01 ¥20.14

46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$24.23 ¥162

33.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.45 ¥29.76

96.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.83 ¥18.91

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.47 ¥3.11

91.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.29 ¥1.91

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$0.77 ¥5.13

231.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.80 ¥12.05

112.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.53 ¥10.26

13.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.64 ¥10.99

-10.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.68 ¥4.56

122.06%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.24 ¥8.29

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$20.87 ¥140

-5.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.80 ¥18.72

19.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.54 ¥90.5

-17.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.14 ¥14.34

33.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.08 ¥7.20

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.68 ¥4.56

222.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.46 ¥9.76

40.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.58 ¥3.89

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.72 ¥4.84

91.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.43 ¥2.86

148.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.53 ¥3.56

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.93 ¥19.58

45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$11.80 ¥78.9

57.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.69 ¥4.62

157.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.81 ¥12.12

57.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.29 ¥1.91

679.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$15.11 ¥101

46.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.45 ¥9.68

107.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.41 ¥2.75

158.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$7.01 ¥46.88

-44.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.30 ¥8.70

11.54%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

34.13%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$18.2K ¥121.6K

48.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$40.99 ¥274

135.13%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$10.15 ¥67.9

8.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$12.59 ¥84.2

36.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$67.0 ¥448

-22.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$7.62 ¥50.9

46.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$5.81 ¥38.88

34.42%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$317 ¥2,117

75.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$13.4K ¥89.4K

-13.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$48.42 ¥324

32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$39.64 ¥265

-27.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$59.9 ¥401

59.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$75.5 ¥505

16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$210 ¥1,407

250.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$125 ¥834

270.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$376 ¥2,517

456.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$217 ¥1,453

452.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,531 ¥16.9K

37.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,509 ¥10.1K

67.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$956 ¥6,391

-47.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.35

66.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Zhongshan

$125 17.9% 73% $338

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Zhongshan

$226 32.5% 15.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Zhongshan

$64 9.2% 48.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 19.1% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Zhongshan

$82 11.8% 32.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Zhongshan

$79 11.3% 16% $11

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 49.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $210 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $226 per month, with Zhongshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

08:52 8:52 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,209,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Zhongshan 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zhongshan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Zhongshan. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $210 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $317 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Zhongshan versus $1,208 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 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.