Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Prakan and Yiwu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yiwu: $550 a month against $886 in Samut Prakan, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Samut Prakan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Samut Prakan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$886
/mo nomad
Yiwu
🇨🇳 China
$550
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Samut Prakan and in Yiwu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samut Prakan and in Yiwu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $886 per month in Samut Prakan vs $550 in Yiwu, rent included.

  • Samut Prakan $886
  • Yiwu $550

A couple spends around $1,389 per month in Samut Prakan vs $1,286 in Yiwu, rent included.

  • Samut Prakan $1,389
  • Yiwu $1,286

A family of three spends $1,893 per month in Samut Prakan vs $2,022 in Yiwu, rent included.

  • Samut Prakan $1,893
  • Yiwu $2,022

Samut Prakan costs about 61% more than Yiwu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Samut Prakan and Yiwu are more affordable than the global median – Samut Prakan 34% lower, Yiwu 59% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.25 ฿109
$2.92 ¥19.53
11.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.10 ฿505
$29.38 ¥196
-48.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.61 ฿254
$5.13 ¥34.30
48.34%
Cappuccino
$1.43 ฿47.70
$3.29 ¥22.01
-56.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.05
$0.62 ¥4.15
-17.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ฿8.75
$0.38 ¥2.55
-31.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.03 ฿67.8
$1.22 ¥8.18
66.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 ฿101
$2.28 ¥15.21
32.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 ฿49.36
$1.85 ¥12.40
-20.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.96 ฿32.07
$1.96 ¥13.09
-51.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 ฿29.12
$0.98 ¥6.57
-11.22%
Eggs
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.68 ¥11.26
3.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.31 ฿412
$17.54 ¥117
-29.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.47 ฿82.4
$3.35 ¥22.38
-26.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.24 ฿342
$13.14 ¥87.9
-22.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.79 ฿59.9
$2.14 ¥14.29
-16.36%
Banana (1kg)
$0.71 ฿23.72
$1.75 ¥11.68
-59.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.92
$1.95 ¥13.05
-32.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.17 ฿39.20
$1.66 ¥11.08
-29.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.70
$0.82 ¥5.51
78.05%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 ฿25.72
$0.94 ¥6.27
-18.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.82 ฿27.36
$0.62 ¥4.16
32.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ฿14.90
$0.59 ¥3.96
-23.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.56 ฿152
$3.75 ¥25.10
21.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.98 ฿300
$10.78 ¥72.1
-16.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 ฿34.32
$0.83 ¥5.56
24.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 ฿62.6
$1.60 ¥10.67
16.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 ฿17.76
$0.43 ¥2.90
23.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.69 ฿56.4
$1.30 ¥8.72
30.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 ฿51.5
$0.43 ¥2.89
258.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 ฿159
$8.89 ¥59.4
-46.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ฿37.00
$1.27 ¥8.49
-12.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.9K ฿396.7K
$19.6K ¥130.8K
-39.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K ฿785.8K
$18.6K ¥124.3K
26.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.1 ฿2,778
$57.4 ¥384
44.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.05 ฿302
$8.10 ¥54.2
11.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.08 ฿537
$10.41 ¥69.6
54.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.11 ฿1,574
$14.73 ¥98.5
219.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.07 ฿470
$11.34 ¥75.8
24.07%
Cinema Ticket
$6.55 ฿219
$7.22 ¥48.24
-9.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$146 ฿4,876
$1,430 ¥9,564
-89.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,031 ฿201.6K
$27.3K ¥182.5K
-77.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.97 ฿500
$53.9 ¥360
-72.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.13 ฿1,208
$37.73 ¥252
-4.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.1 ฿2,411
$76.8 ¥514
-6.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 ฿3,927
$73.5 ¥491
59.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$469 ฿15.7K
$446 ¥2,984
5.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$331 ฿11.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,375 ฿46.0K
$1,053 ¥7,039
30.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 ฿24.1K
$733 ¥4,900
-1.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,909 ฿63.8K
$11.8K ¥78.6K
-83.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,597 ฿53.4K
$2,921 ¥19.5K
-45.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Samut Prakan
Yiwu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$674 ฿22.5K
$748 ¥4,998
-9.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
3.36
-10.71%

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

Last update for Samut Prakan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Samut Prakan
$331
Yiwu
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Samut Prakan
$181
Yiwu
$238 31.7% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Samut Prakan
$108
Yiwu
$109 0.5% $0.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Samut Prakan
$108
Yiwu
$76 29.9% $32
Eating Out
Samut Prakan
$85
Yiwu
$93 9% $7.7
Sport & Entertainment
Samut Prakan
$60
Yiwu
$29 51.6% $31
Getting Around
Samut Prakan
$12 *
Yiwu
$5.2 * 54.9% $6.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $469 in Samut Prakan versus $446 in Yiwu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Yiwu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Samut Prakan versus $29.00 in Yiwu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $238 – making Samut Prakan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Samut Prakan
🇨🇳 Yiwu
🕒 Local time
16:05 4:05 PM
17:05 5:05 PM
1 h ahead of Samut Prakan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,843
1,234,015
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Samut Prakan Yiwu 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Samut Prakan
  • Yiwu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Samut Prakan vs Yiwu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Samut Prakan and in Yiwu compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $886 in Samut Prakan, $550 in Yiwu – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Samut Prakan compared to Yiwu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,328 per month in Samut Prakan and $825 in Yiwu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Samut Prakan and Yiwu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Yiwu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Samut Prakan or Yiwu?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $886 in Samut Prakan and $550 in Yiwu. That's a gap of about 61%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Samut Prakan and Yiwu?
Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Samut Prakan and $1,430 in Yiwu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $800 go in Samut Prakan compared to Yiwu?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $886 in Samut Prakan and $550 in Yiwu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Samut Prakan or Yiwu?
Families tend to lean toward Yiwu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Samut Prakan or Yiwu safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Samut Prakan and Yiwu?
If budget matters most, go with Yiwu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Samut Prakan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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