Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhuhai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhuhai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $760 in Zhuhai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,271 in Zhuhai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,782 in Zhuhai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Zhuhai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zhuhai 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.78 ¥18.75

62.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$27.96 ¥189

66.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.75 ¥32.07

78.74%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.68 ¥18.10

14.93%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.42 ¥2.86

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.28 ¥1.89

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.08 ¥7.30

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.58 ¥17.42

40.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.82 ¥12.27

20.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.69 ¥11.40

7.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.97 ¥6.53

129.90%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.43 ¥9.67

56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$8.50 ¥57.4

130.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.06 ¥27.43

-8.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$9.02 ¥61.0

49.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.41 ¥9.54

138.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.13 ¥7.63

43.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.96 ¥6.47

151.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.94 ¥6.38

111.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.86 ¥5.82

77.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.21 ¥8.21

19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.53 ¥3.61

90.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.56 ¥3.80

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.72 ¥18.37

56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.82 ¥73.1

76.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$0.87 ¥5.90

111.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.82 ¥12.32

50.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.15 ¥1.04

846.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$8.30 ¥56.0

41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.42 ¥9.59

111.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.38 ¥2.55

176.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$4.06 ¥27.45

242.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.13 ¥7.61

14.16%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$16.7K ¥112.5K

68.33%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$16.6K ¥111.9K

102.19%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$62.2 ¥420

96.27%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$8.57 ¥57.9

62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$12.85 ¥86.8

46.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$42.42 ¥287

44.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$16.74 ¥113

0.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$5.67 ¥38.31

56.79%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$352 ¥2,380

96.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$8,218 ¥55.5K

96.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$37.81 ¥255

52.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$20.61 ¥139

71.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$69.6 ¥470

62.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$75.3 ¥509

10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$393 ¥2,654

54.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$265 ¥1,793

68.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$852 ¥5,756

138.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$613 ¥4,143

143.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$4,455 ¥30.1K

-19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$3,113 ¥21.0K

-16.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,057 ¥7,144

-52.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.04

31.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $393 in Zhuhai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhuhai pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Zhuhai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $183 per month, with Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhuhai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zhuhai earns 109% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $393 in Zhuhai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $352 in Zhuhai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $760 in Zhuhai versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhuhai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhuhai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai 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 Zhuhai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.