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: $959 in Keelung versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Keelung versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,444 in Keelung versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 30% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 NT$151

$4.43 ฿145

6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 NT$969

$35.07 ฿1,151

-13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NT$151

$8.96 ฿294

-46.99%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$90.4

$3.00 ฿98.4

-5.33%

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

$0.99 NT$31.39

$0.77 ฿25.33

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.62

$0.47 ฿15.44

63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 NT$50.5

$2.40 ฿78.6

-33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NT$91.4

$3.75 ฿123

-23.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 NT$96.0

$1.82 ฿59.8

65.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 NT$45.08

$1.42 ฿46.65

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 NT$36.55

$1.55 ฿50.8

-25.81%

Eggs

$2.27 NT$72.2

$2.13 ฿69.9

6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.98 NT$923

$19.76 ฿648

46.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 NT$173

$3.48 ฿114

56.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 NT$525

$11.09 ฿364

48.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 NT$138

$2.91 ฿95.5

49.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 NT$59.2

$1.66 ฿54.6

12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 NT$56.3

$2.27 ฿74.5

-22.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.7

$2.10 ฿68.8

4.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NT$39.17

$1.47 ฿48.24

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 NT$62.3

$1.41 ฿46.29

39.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$75.2

$1.09 ฿35.78

116.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 NT$26.75

$0.54 ฿17.58

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 NT$124

$4.48 ฿147

-13.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 NT$303

$18.72 ฿614

-49.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NT$35.23

$1.84 ฿60.4

-39.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 NT$80.4

$2.95 ฿96.7

-14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 NT$20.21

$2.26 ฿74.1

-72.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 NT$1,962

$23.07 ฿757

167.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 NT$85.8

$3.04 ฿99.9

-11.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 NT$30.33

$1.09 ฿35.82

-12.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 NT$293

$3.82 ฿125

140.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 NT$31.34

$1.49 ฿48.79

-34.23%

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

$33.7K NT$1.1M

$27.4K ฿900.3K

22.87%

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

$22.9K NT$730.6K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-16.59%

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

$40.23 NT$1,281

$102 ฿3,340

-60.49%

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

$14.47 NT$461

$11.28 ฿370

28.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.86 NT$346

$17.75 ฿582

-38.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.66 NT$1,104

$54.2 ฿1,777

-36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.72 NT$978

$10.96 ฿360

180.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 NT$249

$7.85 ฿258

-0.51%

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

$342 NT$10.9K

$577 ฿18.9K

-40.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K NT$546.6K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

47.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 NT$2,123

$65.4 ฿2,144

2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 NT$1,126

$28.89 ฿948

22.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.42 NT$1,478

$99.1 ฿3,250

-53.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.40 NT$1,000

$90.3 ฿2,961

-65.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NT$12.5K

$756 ฿24.8K

-47.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 NT$7,955

$487 ฿16.0K

-48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 NT$30.5K

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 NT$23.9K

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-37.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,383 NT$107.7K

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-5.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,347 NT$74.7K

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-10.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,418 NT$77.0K

$502 ฿16.5K

381.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

5.57

-59.25%

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

Last update for Keelung: August 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Keelung and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 381% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Keelung vs $35.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $272, 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 31% in total monthly costs ($959 vs $1,261 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 381% higher in Keelung, 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: $393 in Keelung versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $959 in Keelung versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Keelung 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 Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.