Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Douliu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Douliu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,178 in Douliu, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,970 in Douliu, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,762 in Douliu, rent included.

Phuket costs about 7% more than Douliu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Douliu 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.06 NT$128

15.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$23.60 NT$743

92.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.80 NT$183

45.34%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.76 NT$118

-22.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.18 NT$37.06

-41.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.73 NT$22.87

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.42 NT$108

-29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.42 NT$108

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$3.15 NT$99.2

-29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.98 NT$62.3

-7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.03 NT$95.5

-28.38%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.95 NT$92.7

-25.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$20.24 NT$637

-2.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.96 NT$313

-63.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$20.40 NT$642

-33.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$5.25 NT$165

-37.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.84 NT$89.5

-43.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.85 NT$89.6

-15.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.16 NT$131

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.80 NT$88.0

-45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.24 NT$70.5

-33.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.88 NT$59.3

-47.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.37 NT$43.17

-62.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.03 NT$127

9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$14.52 NT$457

33.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.82 NT$57.3

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.39 NT$75.4

13.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.88 NT$27.78

55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$39.46 NT$1,242

-71.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.84 NT$89.5

6.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.78 NT$24.63

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.03 NT$316

40.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.07 NT$33.70

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-25.10%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.2K NT$855.4K

21.07%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$85.6 NT$2,695

42.17%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.60 NT$585

-27.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$25.43 NT$800

-28.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$37.14 NT$1,169

62.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.22 NT$479

12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.05 NT$379

-27.88%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$645 NT$20.3K

7.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$18.8K NT$590.5K

-16.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$58.7 NT$1,848

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$32.78 NT$1,032

6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$92.7 NT$2,919

23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$124 NT$3,912

-32.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$431 NT$13.6K

42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$288 NT$9,054

51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,052 NT$33.1K

99.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$713 NT$22.4K

111.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$7,501 NT$236.1K

-50.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$5,325 NT$167.6K

-50.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,632 NT$82.9K

-80.70%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Douliu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $431 in Douliu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 418% higher in Douliu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $402 in Douliu – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 7% more than Douliu, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,767 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $24.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $1,178 in Douliu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,178, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Douliu costs $1,178 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Douliu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.