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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,951 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,714 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kaohsiung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.05 NT$128

12.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$34.24 NT$1,082

36.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.51 NT$174

53.72%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.09 NT$97.8

-1.94%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.97 NT$30.78

-28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.71 NT$22.50

-47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.66 NT$52.4

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.73 NT$86.2

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$3.50 NT$110

-37.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.00 NT$63.3

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.61 NT$82.4

-15.71%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.33 NT$105

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$16.02 NT$506

24.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.41 NT$297

-61.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$18.01 NT$569

-26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$6.17 NT$195

-47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.56 NT$81.1

-33.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.84 NT$89.9

-15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.99 NT$126

-47.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.01 NT$95.1

-47.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.13 NT$67.2

-30.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.85 NT$58.6

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.19 NT$37.52

-56.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.38 NT$139

-2.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$15.51 NT$490

21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.72 NT$54.3

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.46 NT$77.7

12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.82 NT$25.79

65.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$26.56 NT$840

-57.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.94 NT$92.9

6.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.78 NT$24.73

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.28 NT$198

119.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.03 NT$32.71

30.10%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-18.35%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.7K NT$811.1K

31.98%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$102 NT$3,225

21.15%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$25.18 NT$796

-46.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$25.61 NT$810

-27.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$39.43 NT$1,246

56.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.15 NT$352

54.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$10.08 NT$319

-9.33%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$428 NT$13.5K

64.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

38.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$95.0 NT$3,004

-37.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$36.01 NT$1,138

-2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.3 NT$2,824

29.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$101 NT$3,191

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$443 NT$14.0K

39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$281 NT$8,897

53.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$950 NT$30.0K

117.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$682 NT$21.6K

121.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,584 NT$144.9K

-20.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$3,194 NT$101.0K

-17.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,503 NT$47.5K

-66.26%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 196% 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 $293 vs $385, 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,188 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 196% 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 $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $428 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,261 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.