Cost of Living Comparison Between Rizhao and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rizhao and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $696 in Rizhao versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,109 in Rizhao versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,522 in Rizhao versus $2,833 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 ¥17.19

$4.56 ฿150

-43.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.82 ¥126

$32.62 ฿1,073

-42.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.49

$8.90 ฿293

-43.93%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ¥12.57

$2.80 ฿92.2

-33.21%

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

$0.44 ¥2.98

$0.88 ฿28.94

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.49 ฿16.08

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.79

$2.39 ฿78.5

-64.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ¥13.22

$3.71 ฿122

-46.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.79 ฿58.8

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ¥9.38

$1.44 ฿47.40

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.58 ฿52.1

-72.78%

Eggs

$1.18 ¥7.95

$2.13 ฿69.9

-44.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 ¥78.8

$19.92 ฿655

-41.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.72

$3.43 ฿113

-5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 ¥73.5

$11.33 ฿372

-3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ¥13.89

$2.95 ฿97.0

-29.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$1.72 ฿56.6

-37.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.11

$2.32 ฿76.5

-67.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.96

$2.08 ฿68.4

-35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$1.47 ฿48.34

-53.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.36

$1.36 ฿44.65

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ¥3.53

$1.10 ฿36.13

-51.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.57 ฿18.89

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.64

$4.27 ฿140

-10.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 ¥67.2

$18.42 ฿606

-45.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.87 ฿61.5

-62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ¥8.78

$2.92 ฿96.1

-55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$2.22 ฿73.0

-86.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.44 ¥104

$22.90 ฿753

-32.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$3.03 ฿99.6

-61.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$1.07 ฿35.32

-71.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 ¥29.16

$3.93 ฿129

10.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.13

$1.49 ฿49.06

-18.79%

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

$18.9K ¥127.0K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-30.24%

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

$15.1K ¥101.2K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-45.04%

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

$71.2 ¥478

$103 ฿3,380

-30.75%

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

$6.63 ¥44.50

$10.99 ฿361

-39.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.04 ¥33.82

$17.51 ฿576

-71.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.13 ¥242

$53.5 ฿1,760

-32.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 ¥100

$11.20 ฿368

33.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.83 ¥39.10

$7.48 ฿246

-22.06%

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

$211 ¥1,418

$557 ฿18.3K

-62.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K ¥135.8K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

70.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.20 ¥229

$64.1 ฿2,107

-46.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 ¥289

$29.07 ฿956

47.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ¥477

$96.0 ฿3,155

-25.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 ¥470

$90.3 ฿2,970

-22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,975

$730 ฿24.0K

-59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 ¥1,258

$500 ฿16.4K

-62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 ¥4,106

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-70.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ¥2,502

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-69.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,572 ¥24.0K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-0.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,893 ¥12.7K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-24.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.57

-43.81%

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

Last update for Rizhao: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Rizhao and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Rizhao vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $273 per month, with Rizhao 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

Rizhao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rizhao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,044 in Rizhao 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: $294 in Rizhao versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $211 in Rizhao 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 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $696 in Rizhao versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rizhao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rizhao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rizhao 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, Rizhao 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 Rizhao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.