Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaoxing and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $751 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
Learn more

Shaoxing Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$751

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shaoxing and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $751 in Shaoxing versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Shaoxing $751
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,204 in Shaoxing versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Shaoxing $1,204
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,657 in Shaoxing versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Shaoxing $1,657
Phuket $2,845

Living in Shaoxing costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shaoxing 45% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 ¥24.81

$4.40 ฿148

-15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.22 ¥148

$32.26 ฿1,089

-31.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.43

$8.76 ฿296

-39.38%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ¥17.20

$2.83 ฿95.4

-8.83%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.90 ฿30.43

-31.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.47 ฿15.71

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$2.55 ฿86.0

-54.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.64

$3.83 ฿129

-42.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.97

$1.73 ฿58.2

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.05

$1.47 ฿49.58

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ¥4.99

$1.51 ฿51.1

-50.33%

Eggs

$1.73 ¥11.55

$2.17 ฿73.3

-20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 ¥77.8

$19.70 ฿665

-40.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.05

$3.34 ฿113

-0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 ¥70.6

$11.16 ฿377

-5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.90

$2.85 ฿96.0

-37.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.50

$1.70 ฿57.5

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.46

$2.19 ฿74.0

-21.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.28

$2.05 ฿69.0

-46.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.51

$1.45 ฿49.03

-42.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.07

$1.38 ฿46.60

-34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$1.07 ฿36.04

-39.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.51 ฿17.07

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ¥22.92

$4.26 ฿144

-19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 ¥70.8

$18.58 ฿627

-42.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$1.78 ฿60.2

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.81

$2.85 ฿96.1

-43.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$2.26 ฿76.3

-89.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 ¥133

$22.10 ฿746

-10.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ¥13.25

$3.01 ฿102

-33.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.06 ฿35.68

-59.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 ¥60.3

$3.86 ฿130

134.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.93

$1.45 ฿48.91

-7.59%

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

$19.5K ¥129.8K

$26.3K ฿888.3K

-26.09%

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

$18.0K ¥120.4K

$26.9K ฿909.1K

-33.03%

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

$47.33 ¥316

$96.4 ฿3,252

-50.89%

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

$7.90 ¥52.7

$11.04 ฿372

-28.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.14 ¥61.0

$17.14 ฿578

-46.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.57 ¥104

$52.2 ฿1,760

-70.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.79 ¥45.32

$11.16 ฿376

-39.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.82 ¥45.51

$7.81 ฿263

-12.68%

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

$844 ¥5,630

$556 ฿18.8K

51.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K ¥166.3K

$11.6K ฿390.7K

115.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.55 ¥270

$64.2 ฿2,166

-36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 ¥213

$28.69 ฿968

11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 ¥513

$95.4 ฿3,217

-19.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥708

$88.0 ฿2,968

20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 ¥2,898

$737 ฿24.9K

-41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 ¥1,484

$462 ฿15.6K

-51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥3,977

$2,095 ฿70.7K

-71.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥3,000

$1,201 ฿40.5K

-62.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,407 ¥42.7K

$3,488 ฿117.7K

83.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 ¥23.7K

$2,523 ฿85.1K

41.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 ¥6,009

$501 ฿16.9K

79.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.57

-39.68%

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

Last update for Shaoxing: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Shaoxing

$222 29.6%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 108% $240

Groceries & Markets

Shaoxing

$205 27.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 31.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Shaoxing

$115 15.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 8.1% $9.3

Eating Out

Shaoxing

$91 12.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 33.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shaoxing

$64 8.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 93.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Shaoxing

$29 3.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 132% $39

Getting Around

Shaoxing

$25 3.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 58.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Shaoxing and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaoxing pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Shaoxing vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $269 per month, with Shaoxing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

1 h behind Shaoxing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912,239

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.93 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shaoxing Phuket 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shaoxing
Phuket

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

Shaoxing vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shaoxing is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Shaoxing, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $434 in Shaoxing versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $844 in Shaoxing versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $751 in Shaoxing versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shaoxing 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, Shaoxing 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 Shaoxing 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.