Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xiamen and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Xiamen: $832 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Xiamen
Learn more

Xiamen Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Xiamen

🇨🇳 China

$832

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $832 in Xiamen versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Xiamen $832
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,337 in Xiamen versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Xiamen $1,337
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,842 in Xiamen versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Xiamen $1,842
Phuket $3,154

Living in Xiamen costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Xiamen 39% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.49

$4.47 ฿151

-34.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.60 ¥157

$32.41 ฿1,092

-27.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.52

$8.81 ฿297

-40.98%

Cappuccino

$2.57 ¥17.06

$2.83 ฿95.2

-9.19%

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

$0.47 ¥3.10

$0.87 ฿29.36

-45.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.49 ฿16.63

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.06

$2.56 ฿86.2

-41.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ¥19.57

$3.68 ฿124

-19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.76

$1.66 ฿55.9

-11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 ¥15.14

$1.46 ฿49.24

56.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.30

$1.50 ฿50.4

-36.67%

Eggs

$1.64 ¥10.87

$2.09 ฿70.4

-21.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 ¥79.8

$19.07 ฿642

-36.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.45 ¥16.24

$3.30 ฿111

-25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 ¥78.1

$10.91 ฿368

7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ¥17.16

$2.93 ฿98.7

-11.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.80

$1.69 ฿56.9

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.10

$2.25 ฿75.7

-25.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.23

$2.08 ฿69.9

-4.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.47

$1.51 ฿50.9

-35.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.04

$1.38 ฿46.45

31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.15

$1.07 ฿35.90

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.61

$0.52 ฿17.48

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ¥19.36

$4.20 ฿142

-30.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 ¥75.6

$18.79 ฿633

-39.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$1.82 ฿61.4

-56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥11.55

$2.84 ฿95.7

-38.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ¥1.08

$1.45 ฿48.91

-88.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.93 ¥79.2

$56.7 ฿1,909

-78.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.67

$3.02 ฿102

-51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.02 ฿34.28

-71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.39 ¥49.07

$3.69 ฿124

100.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.84

$1.47 ฿49.69

-9.52%

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$26.8K ฿902.1K

-26.27%

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

$17.6K ¥116.7K

$26.7K ฿899.2K

-34.18%

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

$43.23 ¥287

$96.4 ฿3,246

-55.13%

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

$8.70 ¥57.8

$11.26 ฿380

-22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.38 ¥68.9

$16.85 ฿568

-38.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 ¥314

$67.2 ฿2,265

-29.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.31 ¥68.5

$10.73 ฿361

-3.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 ¥68.0

$7.50 ฿253

36.53%

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

$496 ¥3,297

$476 ฿16.0K

4.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K ¥164.7K

$11.3K ฿379.5K

120.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.20 ¥260

$62.4 ฿2,101

-37.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.55 ¥196

$28.41 ฿957

4.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ¥710

$94.3 ฿3,177

13.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 ¥561

$85.8 ฿2,891

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,341

$716 ฿24.1K

-50.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 ¥1,766

$491 ฿16.5K

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ¥5,587

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 ¥3,610

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-62.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,588 ¥57.0K

$4,175 ฿140.7K

105.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,847 ¥32.2K

$3,045 ฿102.6K

59.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,179 ¥7,833

$502 ฿16.9K

134.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.57

-37.88%

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

Last update for Xiamen: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Xiamen

$266 32%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 84.6% $225

Groceries & Markets

Xiamen

$217 26.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 22.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Xiamen

$117 14.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 4.1% $4.8

Eating Out

Xiamen

$87 10.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Xiamen

$68 8.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 21.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xiamen

$62 7.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 99.8% $62

Getting Around

Xiamen

$15 1.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 356% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $352 in Xiamen and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Xiamen pays about 2.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Xiamen vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $266 per month, with Xiamen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Xiamen

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

1 h behind Xiamen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,531,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Xiamen Phuket 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Xiamen
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

Xiamen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xiamen is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Xiamen is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $352 in Xiamen versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Xiamen versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $832 in Xiamen versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xiamen but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Xiamen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Xiamen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.