Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhucheng Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhucheng

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $716 in Zhucheng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,134 in Zhucheng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,553 in Zhucheng.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Zhucheng 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.84 ¥19.02

60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$21.34 ¥143

52.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.98 ¥33.39

78.71%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.06 ¥20.51

-8.50%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.47 ¥3.16

87.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.29 ¥1.95

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.92 ¥6.20

159.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.04 ¥13.69

81.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.82 ¥12.21

-1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.57 ¥10.51

-8.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.92 ¥6.15

71.74%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.58 ¥10.60

34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.69 ¥85.1

56.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.23 ¥21.70

6.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.31 ¥69.2

9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.82 ¥12.19

62.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.26 ¥8.47

36.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.49 ¥10.00

55.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.13 ¥7.58

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.76 ¥5.07

93.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.96 ¥6.47

41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.55 ¥3.70

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.54 ¥3.63

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.11 ¥20.90

37.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$10.38 ¥69.6

77.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.78 ¥5.24

139.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.59 ¥10.67

83.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.29 ¥1.95

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$16.90 ¥113

35.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.43 ¥9.59

111.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.33 ¥2.20

224.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$6.82 ¥45.78

-42.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.16 ¥7.80

28.45%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.8K ¥132.9K

36.96%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$17.2K ¥115.1K

59.97%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$44.95 ¥302

128.70%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.56 ¥64.2

14.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$11.80 ¥79.2

48.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.29 ¥277

29.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$14.15 ¥95.0

-20.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.07 ¥40.76

23.23%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$334 ¥2,241

66.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$17.0K ¥114.3K

-30.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$43.08 ¥289

48.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$30.26 ¥203

-3.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$72.4 ¥486

32.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$72.5 ¥487

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$280 ¥1,877

160.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$190 ¥1,276

162.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$599 ¥4,016

249.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$360 ¥2,414

236.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$3,052 ¥20.5K

17.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,996 ¥13.4K

25.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.89

43.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Zhucheng: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $280 in Zhucheng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Zhucheng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $198 per month, with Zhucheng 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 Zhucheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,074 in Zhucheng 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: $730 in Phuket versus $280 in Zhucheng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $334 in Zhucheng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $716 in Zhucheng versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhucheng but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhucheng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhucheng 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 Zhucheng 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 Zhucheng 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.