Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Keelung Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Keelung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,068 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,843 in Keelung.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Keelung 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.01 NT$159

-7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$29.90 NT$946

56.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.54 NT$175

59.57%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.93 NT$92.8

2.39%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.15 NT$36.25

-35.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.78 NT$24.80

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.16 NT$68.5

12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.84 NT$90.0

27.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.34 NT$106

-32.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.51 NT$47.67

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.18 NT$37.40

89.83%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.42 NT$76.6

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$31.90 NT$1,010

-38.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.04 NT$191

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$16.02 NT$507

-18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.58 NT$145

-25.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.81 NT$57.3

-9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.29 NT$72.4

5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.07 NT$97.0

-33.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.34 NT$42.32

16.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.86 NT$59.0

-19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.32 NT$73.4

-56.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.25 NT$39.54

-60.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.96 NT$125

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.74 NT$308

93.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.18 NT$37.23

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.63 NT$83.1

4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.52 NT$16.55

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$66.7 NT$2,110

-82.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.80 NT$88.7

11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.18 NT$37.29

-15.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$10.33 NT$327

36.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.01 NT$31.98

33.66%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-19.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.3K NT$831.5K

25.32%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$43.89 NT$1,389

184.76%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$24.95 NT$790

-45.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$12.06 NT$382

53.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.38 NT$1,183

64.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$33.82 NT$1,071

-50.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.45 NT$268

8.76%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$357 NT$11.3K

95.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$21.1K NT$667.9K

-26.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$84.0 NT$2,659

-31.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.88 NT$1,104

1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$51.5 NT$1,629

119.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$33.41 NT$1,058

158.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$617 NT$19.5K

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$506 NT$16.0K

-11.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,138 NT$36.0K

79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$998 NT$31.6K

49.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,451 NT$109.2K

9.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,362 NT$74.8K

12.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,442 NT$77.3K

-78.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.18

144.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $617 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 366% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 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 Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Keelung differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,294 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 366% 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 $617 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Keelung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Keelung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Keelung 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.