Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Kaohsiung versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,666 in Kaohsiung versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 13% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$134

$4.48 ฿150

-7.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 NT$1,101

$45.59 ฿1,521

-25.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$176

$8.76 ฿292

-37.67%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$96.5

$2.97 ฿99.0

0.67%

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

$1.03 NT$33.19

$0.69 ฿22.90

49.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.25

$0.39 ฿13.04

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$53.7

$2.53 ฿84.4

-34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$89.5

$3.75 ฿125

-26.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 NT$114

$2.15 ฿71.6

64.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$66.7

$1.82 ฿60.6

13.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.0

$2.18 ฿72.9

19.27%

Eggs

$3.32 NT$107

$2.25 ฿75.0

47.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 NT$510

$20.00 ฿667

-21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 NT$298

$3.63 ฿121

154.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 NT$579

$13.56 ฿452

32.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$3.24 ฿108

84.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$83.5

$1.64 ฿54.6

57.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$89.9

$2.33 ฿77.8

19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$2.07 ฿69.1

94.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.3

$1.55 ฿51.6

92.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$1.46 ฿48.54

53.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NT$61.9

$0.98 ฿32.86

95.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$36.95

$0.48 ฿16.09

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$140

$4.35 ฿145

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 NT$490

$18.57 ฿620

-18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.86 ฿61.9

-11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$79.2

$2.65 ฿88.6

-7.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 NT$26.16

$1.42 ฿47.28

-42.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.16 NT$877

$11.57 ฿386

134.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$94.8

$3.17 ฿106

-7.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.55

$1.03 ฿34.41

-29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 NT$195

$13.89 ฿463

-56.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.53

$1.34 ฿44.84

-20.15%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

22.99%

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

$25.7K NT$831.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-22.87%

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

$105 NT$3,391

$123 ฿4,105

-14.67%

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

$25.44 NT$821

$13.77 ฿459

84.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.82 NT$802

$18.33 ฿611

35.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 NT$1,243

$60.7 ฿2,025

-36.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.37 NT$367

$17.16 ฿573

-33.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 NT$335

$8.87 ฿296

16.80%

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

$427 NT$13.8K

$688 ฿22.9K

-38.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K NT$364.0K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-28.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,067

$59.3 ฿1,978

60.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 NT$1,170

$34.69 ฿1,157

4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NT$2,886

$115 ฿3,843

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,317

$83.8 ฿2,794

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$621 ฿20.7K

-27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$9,030

$446 ฿14.9K

-37.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 NT$29.9K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-54.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NT$22.3K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-53.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,510 NT$145.6K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,159 NT$102.0K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

24.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 NT$47.2K

$494 ฿16.5K

196.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

5.33

-56.85%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Kaohsiung and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 196% 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 Kaohsiung vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $291, 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

Kaohsiung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Phuket differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $1,264 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% higher in Kaohsiung, 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: $448 in Kaohsiung versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Kaohsiung versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.