Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
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Douliu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Douliu vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Douliu $1,138
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,894 per month in Douliu vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Douliu $1,894
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,650 per month in Douliu vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Douliu $2,650
Phuket $2,867

Douliu is about 6% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Douliu and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Douliu 16% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 NT$125

$4.58 ฿153

-15.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.40 NT$726

$32.48 ฿1,086

-31.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 NT$189

$8.55 ฿286

-32.05%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NT$110

$2.72 ฿91.0

25.00%

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

$0.94 NT$30.58

$0.94 ฿31.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.86

$0.49 ฿16.39

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$2.59 ฿86.6

7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NT$121

$3.83 ฿128

-2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$1.74 ฿58.1

77.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NT$65.1

$1.43 ฿47.82

40.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NT$103

$1.53 ฿51.0

107.19%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$89.4

$2.17 ฿72.7

27.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.44 NT$631

$19.15 ฿640

1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 NT$323

$3.30 ฿110

202.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.44 NT$695

$11.14 ฿372

92.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 NT$155

$2.95 ฿98.5

62.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.29 NT$107

$1.68 ฿56.1

95.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$99.9

$2.30 ฿76.8

33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 NT$141

$2.13 ฿71.3

103.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NT$91.3

$1.53 ฿51.1

84.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$1.36 ฿45.55

72.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.6

$1.12 ฿37.44

52.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.65

$0.55 ฿18.24

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 NT$125

$4.26 ฿142

-9.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 NT$469

$18.19 ฿608

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$52.9

$1.74 ฿58.2

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$75.0

$2.79 ฿93.3

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.89

$2.22 ฿74.1

-72.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.53 NT$1,152

$22.06 ฿737

61.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NT$86.3

$2.91 ฿97.3

-8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.82

$1.01 ฿33.79

-23.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 NT$307

$3.83 ฿128

147.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.56

$1.49 ฿49.85

-30.87%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

27.41%

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

$24.0K NT$777.6K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-10.22%

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

$86.6 NT$2,807

$99.4 ฿3,321

-12.90%

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

$17.15 NT$556

$11.28 ฿377

52.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.79 NT$901

$17.36 ฿580

60.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.37 NT$1,179

$52.3 ฿1,747

-30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$9.54 NT$309

$7.57 ฿253

26.02%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

$558 ฿18.7K

18.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K NT$550.7K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

47.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 NT$2,091

$62.9 ฿2,102

2.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.75 NT$1,321

$28.58 ฿955

42.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 NT$2,756

$96.1 ฿3,213

-11.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,408

$88.1 ฿2,943

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 NT$13.1K

$729 ฿24.4K

-44.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,334

$460 ฿15.4K

-44.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 NT$31.8K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 NT$23.7K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-40.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 NT$254.1K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

126.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,924 NT$159.7K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

97.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,544 NT$82.5K

$493 ฿16.5K

415.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.57

-56.91%

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

Last update for Douliu: 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

Douliu

$400 35.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 33.1% $132

Accommodation & Living

Douliu

$257 22.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 79% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Douliu

$133 11.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 6.7% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douliu

$132 11.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 2.7% $3.5

Eating Out

Douliu

$117 10.3%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 3.8% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Douliu

$55 4.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 21.6% $12

Getting Around

Douliu

$44 3.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 12.6% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Douliu versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 416% higher in Douliu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Douliu versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Douliu vs $268 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Douliu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

04:17 4:17 AM

1 h behind Douliu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,401

79,308

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Douliu Phuket 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Douliu
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

Douliu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 6% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,707 per month in Douliu and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Douliu and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,138 in Douliu and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 6%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Douliu costs $1,138 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Douliu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.