Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Keelung versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Keelung versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Keelung is roughly 1% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 5% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.56 ฿149

13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.43 NT$962

$46.63 ฿1,519

-34.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 NT$171

$8.47 ฿276

-36.25%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.03 ฿98.6

-2.97%

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

$1.10 NT$34.73

$0.69 ฿22.45

59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 NT$25.46

$0.37 ฿11.92

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 NT$66.3

$2.49 ฿81.0

-15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 NT$93.3

$3.66 ฿119

-19.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.40 NT$108

$2.18 ฿71.0

55.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 NT$47.15

$1.90 ฿62.0

-21.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 NT$35.97

$2.20 ฿71.6

-48.18%

Eggs

$2.48 NT$78.5

$2.22 ฿72.4

11.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.37 NT$992

$19.99 ฿651

56.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 NT$196

$3.66 ฿119

69.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 NT$503

$13.25 ฿432

20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 NT$143

$3.23 ฿105

39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.6

$1.70 ฿55.3

3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 NT$71.3

$2.39 ฿78.0

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$97.7

$2.08 ฿67.7

48.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 NT$42.58

$1.59 ฿51.8

-15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NT$61.4

$1.48 ฿48.31

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$1.03 ฿33.54

122.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NT$39.80

$0.52 ฿16.83

142.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$126

$4.25 ฿138

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 NT$307

$18.79 ฿612

-48.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NT$38.72

$1.76 ฿57.2

-30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NT$83.7

$2.76 ฿89.8

-3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.48

$1.36 ฿44.32

-63.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 NT$2,151

$11.36 ฿370

498.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$88.9

$3.14 ฿102

-10.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 NT$37.89

$1.04 ฿33.74

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$319

$13.77 ฿448

-26.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.04

$1.34 ฿43.79

-24.63%

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

$33.4K NT$1.1M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

20.82%

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

$26.1K NT$823.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-23.06%

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

$44.01 NT$1,391

$124 ฿4,025

-64.39%

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

$24.37 NT$771

$13.52 ฿440

80.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.78 NT$372

$18.69 ฿609

-36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,171

$61.8 ฿2,013

-40.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 NT$1,064

$17.25 ฿562

95.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 NT$275

$9.14 ฿298

-4.92%

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

$364 NT$11.5K

$703 ฿22.9K

-48.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K NT$649.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

29.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 NT$2,643

$59.5 ฿1,937

40.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,089

$35.07 ฿1,142

-1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 NT$1,586

$115 ฿3,754

-56.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.81 NT$1,069

$84.1 ฿2,737

-59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 NT$19.3K

$619 ฿20.1K

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 NT$16.3K

$433 ฿14.1K

19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 NT$35.5K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-45.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NT$32.2K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 NT$107.2K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-6.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 NT$74.6K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-10.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,435 NT$77.0K

$507 ฿16.5K

380.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

5.33

-59.10%

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

Last update for Keelung: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Keelung and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 380% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Keelung vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 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

Keelung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Phuket differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 380% 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: $610 in Keelung versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Keelung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,273 in Keelung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Keelung 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.