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: $1,247 in Phuket versus $647 in Zhongshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,008 in Zhongshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Zhongshan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than Zhongshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Zhongshan 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.71 ¥18.49

69.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$16.90 ¥115

177.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$4.26 ¥29.10

104.23%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.83 ¥19.31

3.18%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.41 ¥2.77

65.85%

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

$0.73 ¥4.96

243.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.66 ¥11.33

128.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.73 ¥11.83

24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.80 ¥12.27

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.96 ¥6.58

125.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.64 ¥11.20

35.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$12.73 ¥87.0

53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.62 ¥17.92

45.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$12.46 ¥85.1

7.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.88 ¥12.87

73.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$0.94 ¥6.42

71.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$0.65 ¥4.42

255.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.32 ¥9.04

56.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.50 ¥3.42

222.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.71 ¥4.87

102.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.37 ¥2.50

178.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.51 ¥3.48

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$2.83 ¥19.30

59.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$14.39 ¥98.3

33.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.61 ¥4.15

198.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.84 ¥12.58

46.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.27 ¥1.84

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$13.73 ¥93.8

-14.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.27 ¥8.67

144.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.34 ¥2.35

194.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.88 ¥46.98

99.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.18 ¥8.05

10.17%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$22.6K ¥154.7K

20.79%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$20.0K ¥136.9K

64.74%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$38.37 ¥262

225.46%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$8.22 ¥56.1

67.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$12.01 ¥82.1

54.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$62.8 ¥429

-3.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$6.92 ¥47.24

147.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$5.54 ¥37.83

62.64%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$294 ¥2,008

137.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$12.8K ¥87.3K

26.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$43.57 ¥298

35.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$30.32 ¥207

14.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$56.5 ¥386

102.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$70.9 ¥484

21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$194 ¥1,326

218.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$118 ¥807

269.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$346 ¥2,360

500.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$198 ¥1,352

662.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$2,432 ¥16.6K

54.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$1,450 ¥9,906

85.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$843 ¥5,760

-37.34%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $194 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $17 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $205 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 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zhongshan earns 60% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $194 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $294 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $647 in Zhongshan versus $1,247 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 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.