Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiyuan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiyuan: $589 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Taiyuan
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Taiyuan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Taiyuan

🇨🇳 China

$589

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $589 in Taiyuan versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Taiyuan $589
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $913 in Taiyuan versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Taiyuan $913
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,238 in Taiyuan versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Taiyuan $1,238
Phuket $2,867

Living in Taiyuan costs roughly 51% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taiyuan 56% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ¥15.23

$4.58 ฿153

-50.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.73 ¥98.5

$32.48 ฿1,086

-54.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ¥29.41

$8.55 ฿286

-48.54%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ¥17.62

$2.72 ฿91.0

-2.94%

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

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.94 ฿31.25

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.49 ฿16.39

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$2.59 ฿86.6

-52.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.38

$3.83 ฿128

-43.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.53 ฿51.0

-45.75%

Eggs

$1.01 ¥6.76

$2.17 ฿72.7

-53.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 ¥87.0

$11.14 ฿372

16.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$2.95 ฿98.5

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.21

$1.68 ฿56.1

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.41

$2.30 ฿76.8

-64.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.77

$2.13 ฿71.3

-45.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 ¥3.20

$1.53 ฿51.1

-68.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.36 ฿45.55

-78.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.55 ฿18.24

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 ¥19.75

$4.26 ฿142

-30.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ¥50.6

$18.19 ฿608

-58.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.74 ฿58.2

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$2.79 ฿93.3

-48.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$2.22 ฿74.1

-86.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.65 ¥91.3

$22.06 ฿737

-38.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$2.91 ฿97.3

-59.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$1.01 ฿33.79

-77.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 ¥24.91

$3.83 ฿128

-2.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.49 ฿49.85

-16.11%

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

$20.0K ¥133.6K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-25.11%

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

$17.5K ¥117.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-34.35%

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

$94.3 ¥631

$99.4 ฿3,321

-5.08%

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

$10.27 ¥68.7

$11.28 ฿377

-8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 ¥85.2

$17.36 ฿580

-26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 ¥302

$52.3 ฿1,747

-13.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$10.85 ฿362

-19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ¥44.37

$7.57 ฿253

-12.29%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.60 ¥185

$62.9 ฿2,102

-56.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 ¥449

$28.58 ฿955

135.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 ¥495

$96.1 ฿3,213

-23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.4 ¥397

$88.1 ฿2,943

-32.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ¥1,491

$729 ฿24.4K

-69.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 ¥760

$460 ฿15.4K

-75.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 ¥3,719

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-73.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,733

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-78.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 ¥17.6K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-24.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 ¥8,368

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-49.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$928 ¥6,202

$493 ฿16.5K

88.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

5.57

-31.24%

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

Last update for Taiyuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taiyuan

$117 19.9%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 9.1% $11

Accommodation & Living

Taiyuan

$114 19.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 305% $346

Groceries & Markets

Taiyuan

$103 * 17.5%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 160% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Taiyuan

$103 17.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 20.8% $21

Eating Out

Taiyuan

$76 13%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 58.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Taiyuan

$58 9.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 15.4% $9

Getting Around

Taiyuan

$17 2.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 126% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Taiyuan and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taiyuan pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Taiyuan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $268 per month, with Taiyuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Taiyuan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

19:35 7:35 PM

1 h behind Taiyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,525,300

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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Taiyuan Phuket 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Taiyuan
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

Taiyuan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiyuan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Taiyuan, 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: $223 in Taiyuan versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taiyuan – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Taiyuan runs roughly 62% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $589 in Taiyuan versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiyuan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taiyuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taiyuan 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, Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.