Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,105 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,830 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,556 in Hua-lien.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hua-lien 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.03 NT$127

13.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$33.74 NT$1,067

38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.58 NT$145

84.93%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.38 NT$107

-10.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.96 NT$30.34

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.61 NT$19.43

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.26 NT$39.99

97.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.96 NT$62.1

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$3.14 NT$99.4

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.78 NT$56.4

6.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$4.36 NT$138

-49.54%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.56 NT$81.0

-13.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$14.10 NT$446

41.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.76 NT$150

-23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$16.34 NT$517

-18.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.53 NT$143

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.45 NT$77.4

-30.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$4.12 NT$130

-41.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.86 NT$122

-46.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$4.59 NT$145

-65.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$4.10 NT$130

-63.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.53 NT$80.0

-59.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.37 NT$43.42

-62.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.13 NT$162

-17.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$14.04 NT$444

33.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.13 NT$67.4

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.87 NT$90.8

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.88 NT$27.79

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$39.02 NT$1,234

-70.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.32 NT$105

-5.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.74 NT$23.24

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$12.46 NT$394

10.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.07 NT$33.80

25.23%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$42.0K NT$1.3M

-34.14%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.8K NT$911.6K

17.43%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$73.9 NT$2,337

67.19%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$33.59 NT$1,062

-59.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$25.47 NT$805

-26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$37.74 NT$1,193

63.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$15.01 NT$475

14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.83 NT$279

3.51%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$786 NT$24.9K

-10.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$15.4K NT$488.0K

2.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$27.58 NT$872

115.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$46.91 NT$1,483

-25.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$72.6 NT$2,293

58.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$123 NT$3,899

-31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$425 NT$13.4K

45.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$285 NT$9,005

51.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,032 NT$32.6K

99.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$732 NT$23.2K

106.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,930 NT$92.6K

-82.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.57

239.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $425 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 478% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $358, 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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hua-lien earns 478% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $425 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Hua-lien versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,105 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.