🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $702 in Yancheng versus $1,247 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,109 in Yancheng versus $2,276 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,516 in Yancheng versus $3,306 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Yancheng costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Yancheng48% lower, Phuket7% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05¥20.83
$4.59฿147
-33.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.50¥140
$46.83฿1,501
-56.22%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.83¥26.16
$8.70฿279
-55.98%
Cappuccino
$3.02¥20.63
$2.92฿93.7
3.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40¥2.72
$0.68฿21.92
-41.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23¥1.56
$0.40฿12.70
-42.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.88¥6.04
$2.51฿80.4
-64.94%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11¥14.42
$3.80฿122
-44.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.83¥12.53
$2.16฿69.3
-15.28%
White Bread(500g)
$1.61¥10.99
$1.88฿60.3
-14.36%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.90¥6.17
$2.16฿69.2
-58.33%
Eggs
$1.61¥11.03
$2.22฿71.2
-27.48%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.64¥86.4
$19.57฿627
-35.41%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.09¥21.11
$3.80฿122
-18.68%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.05¥68.7
$13.41฿430
-25.06%
Apples(1kg)
$1.75¥11.95
$3.26฿104
-46.32%
Banana(1kg)
$1.25¥8.56
$1.61฿51.7
-22.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.42¥9.70
$2.31฿74.0
-38.53%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.10¥7.49
$2.06฿66.0
-46.60%
Potato(1kg)
$0.68¥4.66
$1.61฿51.5
-57.76%
Onion(1kg)
$0.96¥6.55
$1.44฿46.26
-33.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.55¥3.77
$1.03฿33.01
-46.60%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51¥3.50
$0.48฿15.39
6.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.22¥22.01
$4.50฿144
-28.44%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.32¥70.5
$19.18฿615
-46.19%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.75¥5.13
$1.82฿58.4
-58.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67¥11.38
$2.69฿86.2
-37.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.27¥1.82
$1.38฿44.16
-80.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$17.02¥116
$11.76฿377
44.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.36¥9.32
$3.11฿99.6
-56.27%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.36¥2.43
$1.00฿32.18
-64.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.49¥44.31
$13.74฿441
-52.77%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.13¥7.69
$1.30฿41.61
-13.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.1K¥130.5K
$27.4K฿877.0K
-30.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.7K¥114.0K
$33.0K฿1.1M
-49.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$45.31¥309
$125฿4,004
-63.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.94¥67.9
$13.74฿440
-27.66%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.53¥78.8
$18.61฿597
-38.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.26¥282
$60.6฿1,941
-31.86%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.87¥94.7
$17.15฿550
-19.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.12¥41.77
$9.01฿289
-32.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$333¥2,273
$698฿22.4K
-52.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.2K¥117.5K
$16.1K฿516.5K
6.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.74¥292
$59.2฿1,898
-27.82%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.35¥207
$34.86฿1,118
-12.94%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.8¥491
$114฿3,662
-37.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.1¥513
$85.8฿2,751
-12.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$280¥1,916
$619฿19.8K
-54.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$188¥1,282
$437฿14.0K
-57.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$603¥4,121
$2,075฿66.5K
-70.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$354¥2,420
$1,509฿48.4K
-76.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,172¥21.7K
$3,764฿120.7K
-15.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,995¥13.6K
$2,694฿86.4K
-25.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yancheng
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$528฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.87
5.33
-27.39%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Yancheng: April 14, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Yancheng and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $20 in Yancheng vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $292 per month, with Yancheng cheaper across the board.
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
Yancheng vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Yancheng?
Yancheng is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,053 in Yancheng and $1,870 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.
What is the rent difference between Yancheng and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Yancheng versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $333 in Yancheng versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Yancheng and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Yancheng or Phuket?
At $702 in Yancheng versus $1,247 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yancheng but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yancheng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Yancheng or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Yancheng 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.
Which city is safer, Yancheng or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Yancheng 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Yancheng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.