Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hsinchu and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Hsinchu: $1,140 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

55

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,140

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,140 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,140
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,917
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Hsinchu vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Hsinchu $2,693
Phuket $3,154

Hsinchu is about 11% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hsinchu and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Hsinchu 16% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 NT$119

$4.47 ฿151

-17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.83 NT$902

$32.41 ฿1,094

-14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NT$154

$8.81 ฿297

-46.08%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$96.7

$2.83 ฿95.5

5.65%

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

$0.90 NT$29.18

$0.87 ฿29.43

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.23

$0.49 ฿16.67

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 NT$61.3

$2.56 ฿86.4

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$72.7

$3.68 ฿124

-39.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NT$89.1

$1.66 ฿56.0

65.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NT$52.6

$1.46 ฿49.35

10.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 NT$141

$1.50 ฿50.6

190.00%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$89.6

$2.09 ฿70.5

32.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.37 NT$1,146

$19.07 ฿644

85.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 NT$224

$3.30 ฿111

109.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.54 NT$665

$10.91 ฿368

88.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.2

$2.93 ฿99.0

-11.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NT$78.7

$1.69 ฿57.1

43.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NT$105

$2.25 ฿75.8

44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$100

$2.08 ฿70.1

49.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 NT$76.4

$1.51 ฿51.0

56.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NT$74.9

$1.38 ฿46.56

67.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$63.5

$1.07 ฿35.99

83.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.04

$0.52 ฿17.52

161.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$126

$4.20 ฿142

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 NT$391

$18.79 ฿634

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NT$61.0

$1.82 ฿61.5

3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.1

$2.84 ฿95.9

-19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 NT$16.65

$1.45 ฿49.03

-64.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 NT$1,249

$56.7 ฿1,913

-31.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 NT$97.0

$3.02 ฿102

-0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 NT$9.58

$1.02 ฿34.36

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.82 NT$318

$3.69 ฿125

166.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.78

$1.47 ฿49.81

-31.29%

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

$34.7K NT$1.1M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

29.68%

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

$23.6K NT$764.2K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-11.63%

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

$102 NT$3,295

$96.4 ฿3,254

5.54%

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

$19.11 NT$619

$11.26 ฿380

69.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 NT$670

$16.85 ฿569

22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 NT$1,653

$67.2 ฿2,270

-24.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 NT$333

$7.50 ฿253

37.07%

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

$735 NT$23.8K

$476 ฿16.1K

54.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K NT$528.2K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

44.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 NT$1,817

$62.4 ฿2,106

-10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 NT$1,132

$28.41 ฿959

23.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 NT$2,452

$94.3 ฿3,184

-19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,331

$85.8 ฿2,898

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.6K

$716 ฿24.2K

-41.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,324

$491 ฿16.6K

-47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NT$35.6K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-42.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 NT$24.5K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,930 NT$224.5K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

65.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 NT$149.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

51.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,398 NT$77.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

377.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

5.57

-61.76%

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

Last update for Hsinchu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hsinchu

$405 35.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 34.2% $138

Accommodation & Living

Hsinchu

$257 22.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 91.1% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hsinchu

$141 12.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 12% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Hsinchu

$121 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 0.5% $0.6

Eating Out

Hsinchu

$100 8.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Hsinchu

$72 6.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 14.9% $11

Getting Around

Hsinchu

$45 4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 56.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Hsinchu versus $716 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 in Hsinchu are about 4.8 times higher, 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 $28 in Hsinchu versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $405 in Hsinchu vs $266 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

1 h behind Hsinchu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

453,120

79,308

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.09 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 32.4 TWD (100 TWD = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 36.07 TWD (100 TWD = 2.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hsinchu Phuket 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hsinchu
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

Hsinchu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 12% more than Hsinchu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,711 per month in Hsinchu and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hsinchu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Hsinchu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $735 per month in Hsinchu and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,140 in Hsinchu and $1,278 in Phuket. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,140 in Hsinchu to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.