Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yichang and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Yichang: $714 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 Yichang
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Yichang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Yichang

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Yichang versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Yichang $714
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in Yichang versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Yichang $1,132
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in Yichang versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Yichang $1,551
Phuket $2,867

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.33

$4.58 ฿153

-40.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.74 ¥145

$32.48 ฿1,086

-33.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.63

$8.55 ฿286

-42.92%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥19.77

$2.72 ฿91.0

8.82%

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.94 ฿31.25

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.49 ฿16.39

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.91

$2.59 ฿86.6

-66.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥14.12

$3.83 ฿128

-44.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.41

$1.74 ฿58.1

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$1.43 ฿47.82

11.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.34

$1.53 ฿51.0

-37.91%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.24

$2.17 ฿72.7

-29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 ¥86.8

$19.15 ฿640

-32.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥21.81

$3.30 ฿110

-1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 ¥67.6

$11.14 ฿372

-9.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥11.94

$2.95 ฿98.5

-39.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.09

$1.68 ฿56.1

-27.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.25

$2.30 ฿76.8

-33.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$2.13 ฿71.3

-46.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.00

$1.53 ฿51.1

-50.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.36 ฿45.55

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$1.12 ฿37.44

-50.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.70

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 ¥21.10

$4.26 ฿142

-25.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 ¥71.6

$18.19 ฿608

-41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.05

$1.74 ฿58.2

-56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$2.79 ฿93.3

-43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$2.22 ฿74.1

-87.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.48 ¥110

$22.06 ฿737

-25.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$2.91 ฿97.3

-53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$1.01 ฿33.79

-65.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 ¥43.81

$3.83 ฿128

71.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.50

$1.49 ฿49.85

-24.83%

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

$19.3K ¥128.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-27.80%

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

$17.3K ¥115.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-35.41%

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

$45.21 ¥302

$99.4 ฿3,321

-54.50%

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

$9.71 ¥64.9

$11.28 ฿377

-13.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.62 ¥77.7

$17.36 ฿580

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 ¥284

$52.3 ฿1,747

-18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 ¥91.9

$10.85 ฿362

26.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.95 ¥39.81

$7.57 ฿253

-21.40%

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

$329 ¥2,202

$558 ฿18.7K

-41.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K ¥111.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

45.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.70 ¥292

$62.9 ฿2,102

-30.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 ¥201

$28.58 ฿955

5.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥476

$96.1 ฿3,213

-26.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 ¥473

$88.1 ฿2,943

-19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,825

$729 ฿24.4K

-62.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,287

$460 ฿15.4K

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 ¥4,006

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ¥2,413

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-70.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,972 ¥19.9K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-14.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-16.91%

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 Yichang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yichang

$200 27.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 34.1% $68

Accommodation & Living

Yichang

$192 26.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 139% $268

Clothing & Footwear

Yichang

$97 13.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 27.8% $27

Eating Out

Yichang

$84 11.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 45.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yichang

$67 9.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 92.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Yichang

$54 7.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 24% $13

Getting Around

Yichang

$21 2.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 88.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $273 in Yichang and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Yichang vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $268 per month, with Yichang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yichang

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

11:10 11:10 AM

1 h behind Yichang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,059,686

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

Yichang Phuket 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Yichang
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

Yichang vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yichang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,071 in Yichang 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: $273 in Yichang versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Yichang 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 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $714 in Yichang versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yichang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yichang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yichang 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, Yichang 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 Yichang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.