Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shijiazhuang and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Shijiazhuang: $682 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Shijiazhuang
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Shijiazhuang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Shijiazhuang

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Shijiazhuang versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Shijiazhuang $682
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Shijiazhuang versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Shijiazhuang $1,021
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,359 in Shijiazhuang versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Shijiazhuang $1,359
Phuket $2,845

Living in Shijiazhuang costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shijiazhuang 50% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.76 ¥11.80

$4.40 ฿147

-60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ¥125

$32.26 ฿1,078

-42.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ¥37.97

$8.76 ฿293

-35.16%

Cappuccino

$3.27 ¥21.89

$2.83 ฿94.5

15.55%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.90 ฿30.14

-46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.47 ฿15.56

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ¥5.23

$2.55 ฿85.2

-69.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.42

$3.83 ฿128

-55.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.73 ฿57.7

-27.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ¥7.78

$1.47 ฿49.11

-21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.53

$1.51 ฿50.6

-54.97%

Eggs

$1.29 ¥8.61

$2.17 ฿72.7

-40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 ¥110

$19.70 ฿658

-16.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.63 ¥17.58

$3.34 ฿112

-21.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.67 ¥64.7

$11.16 ฿373

-13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.10

$2.85 ฿95.1

-41.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.24

$1.70 ฿56.9

-27.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.19 ฿73.3

-64.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.95

$2.05 ฿68.4

-41.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$1.45 ฿48.57

-56.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$1.38 ฿46.16

-55.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.07 ฿35.69

-36.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.51 ฿16.91

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.39

$4.26 ฿142

-10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.83 ¥25.58

$18.58 ฿621

-79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.78

$1.78 ฿59.7

-60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.85 ฿95.2

-72.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$2.26 ฿75.6

-86.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.67 ¥118

$22.10 ฿738

-20.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$3.01 ฿101

-59.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.06 ฿35.34

-65.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ¥23.81

$3.86 ฿129

-7.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.30

$1.45 ฿48.45

-14.48%

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

$19.7K ¥131.4K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-25.34%

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

$17.3K ¥116.0K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-35.62%

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

$95.2 ¥637

$96.4 ฿3,221

-1.19%

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

$4.40 ¥29.42

$11.04 ฿369

-60.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.60 ¥44.16

$17.14 ฿573

-61.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.69 ¥91.5

$52.2 ฿1,744

-73.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 ¥101

$11.16 ฿373

35.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 ¥37.19

$7.81 ฿261

-28.81%

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

$369 ¥2,467

$556 ฿18.6K

-33.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,270 ¥35.2K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-54.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 ¥339

$64.2 ฿2,146

-20.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.12 ¥175

$28.69 ฿959

-8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ¥499

$95.4 ฿3,187

-21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 ¥353

$88.0 ฿2,940

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 ¥2,006

$737 ฿24.6K

-59.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,231

$462 ฿15.5K

-60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 ¥2,802

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-79.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ¥1,864

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-76.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,534 ¥16.9K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-27.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 ¥11.4K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-32.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$808 ¥5,400

$501 ฿16.7K

61.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

5.57

-40.57%

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

Last update for Shijiazhuang: 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

Shijiazhuang

$184 27%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 151% $278

Groceries & Markets

Shijiazhuang

$172 25.3%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 55.9% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shijiazhuang

$106 15.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 17.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Shijiazhuang

$92 13.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 35.2% $32

Eating Out

Shijiazhuang

$81 11.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 50.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Shijiazhuang

$25 3.6%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 173% $43

Getting Around

Shijiazhuang

$22 3.2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 79.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $300 in Shijiazhuang and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shijiazhuang pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Shijiazhuang vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $269 per month, with Shijiazhuang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h behind Shijiazhuang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,235,086

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shijiazhuang Phuket 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shijiazhuang
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

Shijiazhuang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shijiazhuang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Shijiazhuang, 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: $300 in Shijiazhuang versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 in Shijiazhuang 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 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Shijiazhuang versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shijiazhuang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shijiazhuang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shijiazhuang 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, Shijiazhuang 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 Shijiazhuang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.