Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongshan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $695 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$695

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $695 in Zhongshan versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Zhongshan $695
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,110 in Zhongshan versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Zhongshan $1,110
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Zhongshan versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Zhongshan $1,525
Phuket $2,845

Living in Zhongshan costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhongshan 49% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 ¥20.14

$4.40 ฿147

-31.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 ¥162

$32.26 ฿1,078

-24.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.76

$8.76 ฿293

-49.20%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥18.91

$2.83 ฿94.5

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

$0.47 ¥3.11

$0.90 ฿30.14

-47.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.47 ฿15.56

-38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$2.55 ฿85.2

-69.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$3.83 ฿128

-53.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$1.73 ฿57.7

-11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.99

$1.47 ฿49.11

11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.51 ฿50.6

-54.97%

Eggs

$1.24 ¥8.29

$2.17 ฿72.7

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.87 ¥140

$19.70 ฿658

5.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.80 ¥18.72

$3.34 ฿112

-16.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 ¥90.5

$11.16 ฿373

21.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$2.85 ฿95.1

-24.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.70 ฿56.9

-36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$2.19 ฿73.3

-68.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.76

$2.05 ฿68.4

-28.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.45 ฿48.57

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.38 ฿46.16

-47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.07 ฿35.69

-59.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.56

$0.51 ฿16.91

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$4.26 ฿142

-31.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$18.58 ฿621

-36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.62

$1.78 ฿59.7

-61.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$2.85 ฿95.2

-36.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$2.26 ฿75.6

-87.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.11 ¥101

$22.10 ฿738

-31.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.68

$3.01 ฿101

-51.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$1.06 ฿35.34

-61.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 ¥46.88

$3.86 ฿129

81.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.70

$1.45 ฿48.45

-10.34%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-25.44%

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

$18.2K ¥121.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-32.48%

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

$40.99 ¥274

$96.4 ฿3,221

-57.47%

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

$10.15 ¥67.9

$11.04 ฿369

-8.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.59 ¥84.2

$17.14 ฿573

-26.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 ¥448

$52.2 ฿1,744

28.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.62 ¥50.9

$11.16 ฿373

-31.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 ¥38.88

$7.81 ฿261

-25.61%

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

$317 ¥2,117

$556 ฿18.6K

-43.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥89.4K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

15.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.42 ¥324

$64.2 ฿2,146

-24.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 ¥265

$28.69 ฿959

38.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥401

$95.4 ฿3,187

-37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 ¥505

$88.0 ฿2,940

-14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ¥1,407

$737 ฿24.6K

-71.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ¥834

$462 ฿15.5K

-73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 ¥2,517

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-82.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ¥1,453

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-81.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,531 ¥16.9K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-27.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 ¥10.1K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-40.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$956 ¥6,391

$501 ฿16.7K

90.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

5.57

-39.86%

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

Last update for Zhongshan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongshan

$226 32.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 18.9% $43

Accommodation & Living

Zhongshan

$125 17.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 271% $338

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongshan

$101 14.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 23.6% $24

Eating Out

Zhongshan

$82 11.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 48.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongshan

$79 11.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 13.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongshan

$64 9.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 95.4% $61

Getting Around

Zhongshan

$20 2.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 99.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $210 in Zhongshan and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongshan pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Zhongshan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $269 per month, with Zhongshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

1 h behind Zhongshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,209,600

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 21, 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 21, 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

Zhongshan Phuket 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Zhongshan
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

Zhongshan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Zhongshan, 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: $210 in Zhongshan versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $317 in Zhongshan versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $695 in Zhongshan versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhongshan 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, Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.