Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in New Taipei City versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,179 in New Taipei City versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in New Taipei City is roughly 12% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 3% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 NT$163

$4.63 ฿151

11.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.11 NT$1,080

$46.84 ฿1,532

-27.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$180

$8.84 ฿289

-35.86%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.00 ฿98.0

-2.00%

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

$0.89 NT$28.07

$0.74 ฿24.25

20.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.84

$0.37 ฿11.95

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$64.8

$2.44 ฿79.8

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$86.6

$3.61 ฿118

-24.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$101

$2.26 ฿73.9

41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$60.0

$1.84 ฿60.1

2.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.4

$2.24 ฿73.4

34.37%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$92.4

$2.32 ฿75.7

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 NT$643

$19.67 ฿643

3.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 NT$278

$3.65 ฿119

140.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 NT$643

$13.10 ฿428

55.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 NT$148

$3.39 ฿111

37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NT$83.5

$1.64 ฿53.7

60.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.3

$2.41 ฿79.0

13.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NT$133

$2.03 ฿66.4

107.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.8

$1.56 ฿50.9

80.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.5

$1.50 ฿48.94

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NT$64.3

$1.02 ฿33.50

99.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$41.29

$0.49 ฿16.00

165.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$4.45 ฿145

-9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NT$296

$18.88 ฿617

-50.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.2

$1.78 ฿58.1

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$73.9

$2.75 ฿90.1

-14.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.50

$1.40 ฿45.81

-53.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.17 NT$1,303

$11.48 ฿376

258.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$90.0

$3.12 ฿102

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.54

$1.00 ฿32.67

-26.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 NT$323

$14.09 ฿461

-27.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.89

$1.35 ฿44.19

-20.74%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

42.24%

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

$28.0K NT$887.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-14.82%

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

$97.4 NT$3,084

$125 ฿4,087

-22.04%

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

$24.77 NT$784

$13.57 ฿444

82.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 NT$767

$18.52 ฿606

30.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 NT$1,238

$61.5 ฿2,010

-36.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 NT$515

$16.84 ฿551

-3.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 NT$369

$9.19 ฿300

26.77%

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

$633 NT$20.0K

$698 ฿22.8K

-9.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$591.3K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

19.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 NT$2,478

$57.8 ฿1,889

35.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,090

$35.24 ฿1,152

-2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 NT$3,006

$113 ฿3,699

-16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,899

$86.4 ฿2,825

42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 NT$20.7K

$616 ฿20.1K

6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 NT$14.7K

$446 ฿14.6K

4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NT$54.8K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-15.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NT$34.3K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$400.6K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

234.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,233 NT$228.9K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

173.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.2K

$524 ฿17.1K

160.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

5.33

-58.91%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in New Taipei City and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 161% 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: $34.00 in New Taipei City vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $292, 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

New Taipei City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Phuket differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,384 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Taipei City pays 161% 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: $655 in New Taipei City versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,384 per month in New Taipei City versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 259% less than in New Taipei City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,384 in New Taipei City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. 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, New Taipei City 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 12% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.