Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingdingshan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingdingshan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $705 in Pingdingshan versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Pingdingshan versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Pingdingshan versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Pingdingshan costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pingdingshan 49% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 ¥14.63

$4.56 ฿150

-52.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.89 ¥113

$32.62 ฿1,073

-48.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.35 ¥29.20

$8.90 ฿293

-51.12%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ¥17.54

$2.80 ฿92.2

-6.79%

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

$0.53 ¥3.57

$0.88 ฿28.94

-39.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.90

$0.49 ฿16.08

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 ¥5.70

$2.39 ฿78.5

-64.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.29

$3.71 ฿122

-54.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ¥11.54

$1.79 ฿58.8

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.44 ฿47.40

9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.08

$1.58 ฿52.1

-42.41%

Eggs

$0.97 ¥6.52

$2.13 ฿69.9

-54.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 ¥54.6

$19.92 ฿655

-59.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.71

$3.43 ฿113

-5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ¥69.4

$11.33 ฿372

-8.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.98

$2.95 ฿97.0

-49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.78

$1.72 ฿56.6

-41.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$2.32 ฿76.5

-53.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.14

$2.08 ฿68.4

-41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.47 ฿48.34

-57.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.44

$1.36 ฿44.65

-51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.14

$1.10 ฿36.13

-43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.57 ฿18.89

31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 ¥24.26

$4.27 ฿140

-15.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 ¥76.7

$18.42 ฿606

-37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥6.26

$1.87 ฿61.5

-50.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$2.92 ฿96.1

-31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$2.22 ฿73.0

-86.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.97 ¥121

$22.90 ฿753

-21.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ¥4.77

$3.03 ฿99.6

-76.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$1.07 ฿35.32

-72.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥23.81

$3.93 ฿129

-9.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥7.32

$1.49 ฿49.06

-26.85%

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

$12.0K ¥80.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-55.93%

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

$17.5K ¥117.3K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-36.32%

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

$70.0 ¥469

$103 ฿3,380

-31.94%

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

$7.28 ¥48.82

$10.99 ฿361

-33.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.62 ¥64.5

$17.51 ฿576

-45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.45 ¥271

$53.5 ฿1,760

-24.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.3

$11.20 ฿368

32.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.61 ¥37.65

$7.48 ฿246

-25.00%

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

$313 ¥2,102

$557 ฿18.3K

-43.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K ¥149.2K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

87.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ¥352

$64.1 ฿2,107

-18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.79 ¥207

$29.07 ฿956

5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ¥476

$96.0 ฿3,155

-26.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ¥483

$90.3 ฿2,970

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,980

$730 ฿24.0K

-59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ¥1,216

$500 ฿16.4K

-63.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,997

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-71.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ¥2,466

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-69.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,149 ¥21.1K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-12.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 ¥13.0K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-22.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.29

5.57

-40.93%

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

Last update for Pingdingshan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Pingdingshan and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Pingdingshan vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $273 per month, with Pingdingshan 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

Pingdingshan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pingdingshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,058 in Pingdingshan and $1,880 in Phuket 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: $295 in Pingdingshan versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Pingdingshan versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $705 in Pingdingshan versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pingdingshan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pingdingshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pingdingshan 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, Pingdingshan and Phuket 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 Pingdingshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.