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 $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.11 NT$130

12.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$33.83 NT$1,071

38.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.43 NT$172

62.80%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.99 NT$94.8

0.33%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.97 NT$30.80

-23.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.72 NT$22.94

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.68 NT$53.1

45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.79 NT$88.2

29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.43 NT$109

-34.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.00 NT$63.3

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.61 NT$82.6

-14.18%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.30 NT$105

-29.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$16.13 NT$511

21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.45 NT$299

-61.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$17.56 NT$556

-25.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$6.20 NT$196

-45.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.59 NT$81.9

-36.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.86 NT$90.4

-15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.00 NT$127

-49.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.91 NT$92.1

-46.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.23 NT$70.5

-32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.95 NT$61.6

-47.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.19 NT$37.74

-58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.53 NT$143

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$15.61 NT$494

20.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.67 NT$52.8

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.56 NT$81.0

7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.82 NT$26.01

70.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$26.95 NT$853

-57.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.91 NT$92.1

7.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.79 NT$25.16

26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.12 NT$194

130.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.03 NT$32.54

31.07%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.9K NT$1.1M

-22.08%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.6K NT$811.5K

28.40%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$102 NT$3,239

22.13%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$25.62 NT$811

-47.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$25.09 NT$794

-26.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$39.67 NT$1,255

54.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.12 NT$352

51.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.98 NT$316

-7.92%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$431 NT$13.7K

61.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.5K NT$362.6K

36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$97.4 NT$3,083

-40.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$35.83 NT$1,134

-1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$88.1 NT$2,788

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$104 NT$3,276

-16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$442 NT$14.0K

39.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$279 NT$8,843

59.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$960 NT$30.4K

113.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$686 NT$21.7K

117.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,630 NT$146.5K

-18.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$3,248 NT$102.8K

-18.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,533 NT$48.5K

-65.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.3

131.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 193% 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 Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $384, 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kaohsiung differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,148 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 193% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.