Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tangshan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Tangshan: $717 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Tangshan
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Tangshan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tangshan

🇨🇳 China

$717

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Tangshan versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Tangshan $717
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Tangshan versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Tangshan $1,135
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in Tangshan versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Tangshan $1,553
Phuket $2,867

Living in Tangshan costs roughly 41% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tangshan 47% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 ¥18.12

$4.58 ฿153

-40.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.35 ¥143

$32.48 ฿1,086

-34.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.17

$8.55 ฿286

-41.99%

Cappuccino

$2.98 ¥19.91

$2.72 ฿91.0

9.56%

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

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.94 ฿31.25

-54.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$0.49 ฿16.39

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$2.59 ฿86.6

-66.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.76

$3.83 ฿128

-46.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ¥12.58

$1.74 ฿58.1

8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥10.47

$1.43 ฿47.82

9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.00

$1.53 ฿51.0

-41.18%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.31

$2.17 ฿72.7

-29.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 ¥84.9

$19.15 ฿640

-33.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 ¥21.16

$3.30 ฿110

-4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.13 ¥67.7

$11.14 ฿372

-9.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$2.95 ฿98.5

-37.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.68 ฿56.1

-25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$2.30 ฿76.8

-36.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.42

$2.13 ฿71.3

-47.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$1.53 ฿51.1

-54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$1.36 ฿45.55

-28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.78

$1.12 ฿37.44

-49.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.47

$0.55 ฿18.24

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 ¥20.82

$4.26 ฿142

-27.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 ¥69.9

$18.19 ฿608

-42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.25

$1.74 ฿58.2

-55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ¥10.56

$2.79 ฿93.3

-43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$2.22 ฿74.1

-87.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.81 ¥112

$22.06 ฿737

-23.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.07

$2.91 ฿97.3

-53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$1.01 ฿33.79

-65.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 ¥45.55

$3.83 ฿128

77.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.78

$1.49 ฿49.85

-22.15%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-26.89%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-36.62%

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

$45.10 ¥302

$99.4 ฿3,321

-54.61%

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

$10.08 ¥67.4

$11.28 ฿377

-10.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.56 ¥77.3

$17.36 ฿580

-33.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 ¥281

$52.3 ฿1,747

-19.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ¥94.3

$10.85 ฿362

29.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 ¥39.99

$7.57 ฿253

-21.00%

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

$335 ¥2,241

$558 ฿18.7K

-39.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

46.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.43 ¥290

$62.9 ฿2,102

-30.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 ¥202

$28.58 ฿955

5.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ¥484

$96.1 ฿3,213

-24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 ¥485

$88.1 ฿2,943

-17.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ¥1,855

$729 ฿24.4K

-61.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ¥1,313

$460 ฿15.4K

-57.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,948

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-71.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ¥2,452

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-70.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,057 ¥20.4K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-11.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,063 ¥13.8K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-17.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

5.57

-30.16%

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

Last update for Tangshan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tangshan

$197 27.5%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 35.8% $70

Accommodation & Living

Tangshan

$196 27.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 134% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Tangshan

$98 13.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 26.1% $26

Eating Out

Tangshan

$84 11.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 45.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tangshan

$67 9.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 91.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Tangshan

$54 7.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 24.9% $13

Getting Around

Tangshan

$21 2.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 85% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Tangshan and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Tangshan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $268 per month, with Tangshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Tangshan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

1 h behind Tangshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,717,983

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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Between locations

Tangshan Phuket 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tangshan
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

Tangshan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tangshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,076 in Tangshan and $1,811 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: $278 in Tangshan versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $335 in Tangshan versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $717 in Tangshan versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tangshan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tangshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tangshan 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, Tangshan 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 Tangshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.