Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Hua-lien versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,830 in Hua-lien versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,556 in Hua-lien versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hua-lien 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$4.56 ฿149

-11.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 NT$1,067

$46.63 ฿1,519

-27.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 NT$145

$8.47 ฿276

-45.93%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NT$107

$3.03 ฿98.6

11.55%

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

$0.96 NT$30.34

$0.69 ฿22.45

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 NT$19.43

$0.37 ฿11.92

64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 NT$39.99

$2.49 ฿81.0

-49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NT$62.1

$3.66 ฿119

-46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$99.4

$2.18 ฿71.0

44.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.4

$1.90 ฿62.0

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 NT$138

$2.20 ฿71.6

98.18%

Eggs

$2.56 NT$81.0

$2.22 ฿72.4

15.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 NT$446

$19.99 ฿651

-29.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 NT$150

$3.66 ฿119

30.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 NT$517

$13.25 ฿432

23.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 NT$143

$3.23 ฿105

40.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 NT$77.4

$1.70 ฿55.3

44.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 NT$130

$2.39 ฿78.0

72.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 NT$122

$2.08 ฿67.7

85.58%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$145

$1.59 ฿51.8

188.68%

Onion (1kg)

$4.10 NT$130

$1.48 ฿48.31

177.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NT$80.0

$1.03 ฿33.54

145.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 NT$43.42

$0.52 ฿16.83

163.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 NT$162

$4.25 ฿138

20.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 NT$444

$18.79 ฿612

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 NT$67.4

$1.76 ฿57.2

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NT$90.8

$2.76 ฿89.8

3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.79

$1.36 ฿44.32

-35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.02 NT$1,234

$11.36 ฿370

243.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 NT$105

$3.14 ฿102

5.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.24

$1.04 ฿33.74

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.46 NT$394

$13.77 ฿448

-9.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.80

$1.34 ฿43.79

-20.15%

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

$42.0K NT$1.3M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

51.83%

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

$28.8K NT$911.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-14.85%

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

$73.9 NT$2,337

$124 ฿4,025

-40.19%

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

$33.59 NT$1,062

$13.52 ฿440

148.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.47 NT$805

$18.69 ฿609

36.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 NT$1,193

$61.8 ฿2,013

-38.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$475

$17.25 ฿562

-12.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 NT$279

$9.14 ฿298

-3.39%

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

$786 NT$24.9K

$703 ฿22.9K

11.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K NT$488.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-2.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 NT$872

$59.5 ฿1,937

-53.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 NT$1,483

$35.07 ฿1,142

33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 NT$2,293

$115 ฿3,754

-37.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,899

$84.1 ฿2,737

46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 NT$13.4K

$619 ฿20.1K

-31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 NT$9,005

$433 ฿14.1K

-34.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 NT$32.6K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-49.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 NT$23.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-51.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,930 NT$92.6K

$507 ฿16.5K

477.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

5.33

-70.54%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Hua-lien and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 478% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hua-lien vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Hua-lien pays 478% more on average, 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: $425 in Hua-lien versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Hua-lien versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,105 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.