Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,829 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,551 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kaohsiung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.50 NT$175

-19.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$32.11 NT$1,022

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.83 NT$154

84.89%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.81 NT$89.6

3.20%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.08 NT$34.48

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.67 NT$21.33

-28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.48 NT$47.02

58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.55 NT$81.2

45.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$3.25 NT$103

-42.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.27 NT$72.3

-35.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.03 NT$96.5

-48.84%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.69 NT$85.7

-21.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$15.37 NT$489

27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.86 NT$250

-56.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$15.16 NT$483

-24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$6.54 NT$208

-54.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.78 NT$88.6

-39.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.52 NT$80.4

-12.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.13 NT$99.5

-30.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.71 NT$86.3

-43.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.04 NT$64.9

-34.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.35 NT$74.9

-51.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.07 NT$34.19

-48.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.07 NT$130

4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$15.91 NT$507

19.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.59 NT$50.8

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.15 NT$68.6

29.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.75 NT$23.72

197.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$12.42 NT$395

83.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.73 NT$86.9

10.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.78 NT$24.81

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.73 NT$182

-32.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.06 NT$33.66

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$33.2K NT$1.1M

-20.02%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$23.1K NT$735.7K

16.94%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$84.7 NT$2,695

21.05%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$17.10 NT$544

-33.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$25.77 NT$820

-32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$40.62 NT$1,293

28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$10.32 NT$329

7.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.95 NT$349

-29.77%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$474 NT$15.1K

18.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$14.0K NT$444.4K

-17.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$94.5 NT$3,007

-33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$33.58 NT$1,069

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$86.5 NT$2,753

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$99.8 NT$3,176

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$407 NT$13.0K

81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$284 NT$9,042

69.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$998 NT$31.8K

111.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$670 NT$21.3K

82.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,684 NT$149.1K

-22.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,170 NT$100.9K

-17.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,439 NT$45.8K

-65.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.56

117.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 192% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $363 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kaohsiung differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,107 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 192% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $474 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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, Phuket and Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.