Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,149 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,950 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,751 in Chiayi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Chiayi 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.71 NT$217

-33.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$40.61 NT$1,311

12.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.88 NT$190

48.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.24 NT$72.2

32.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.16 NT$37.59

-40.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.77 NT$24.99

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.88 NT$60.8

34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.98 NT$96.3

25.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.21 NT$104

-33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.90 NT$61.3

-4.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.03 NT$97.9

-28.05%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.92 NT$94.2

-22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$19.98 NT$645

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.89 NT$319

-63.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$20.10 NT$649

-32.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$5.12 NT$165

-36.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.87 NT$92.6

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.76 NT$89.0

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.12 NT$133

-49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.83 NT$91.5

-45.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.17 NT$70.2

-32.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.88 NT$60.6

-47.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.33 NT$42.92

-63.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.06 NT$131

7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.78 NT$154

288.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.79 NT$58.0

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.43 NT$78.3

9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.84 NT$27.07

69.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.58 NT$1,278

-70.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.93 NT$94.6

8.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.42 NT$13.43

145.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$10.02 NT$324

38.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.04 NT$33.56

28.85%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$37.9K NT$1.2M

-26.63%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.4K NT$883.6K

21.99%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$72.4 NT$2,338

69.98%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$19.02 NT$614

-27.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$24.90 NT$804

-26.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$37.31 NT$1,205

62.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.33 NT$495

11.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$11.98 NT$387

-25.96%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$644 NT$20.8K

6.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$18.5K NT$596.1K

-14.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.1 NT$1,907

0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$32.77 NT$1,058

5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$91.9 NT$2,969

25.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$123 NT$3,987

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$426 NT$13.8K

45.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$290 NT$9,369

53.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,042 NT$33.6K

95.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$720 NT$23.3K

107.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,045 NT$98.3K

13.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,834 NT$59.2K

38.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,116 NT$68.3K

-76.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.19

143.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $426 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 329% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $379, 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

Phuket vs Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 329% lower in Chiayi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $426 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $1,149 in Chiayi – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 242% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,149 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.