Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Miaoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Miaoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Miaoli 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.49 NT$110

34.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$25.88 NT$815

75.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.03 NT$158

67.59%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.84 NT$89.3

3.17%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.11 NT$34.88

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.69 NT$21.86

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.71 NT$53.7

40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.59 NT$81.4

43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$3.10 NT$97.5

-28.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.45 NT$45.58

26.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.52 NT$79.4

-13.89%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.29 NT$71.9

-3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.25 NT$291

113.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.14 NT$256

-55.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$20.58 NT$648

-34.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.33 NT$105

-1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.04 NT$32.67

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.71 NT$85.2

-11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.05 NT$95.9

-31.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.39 NT$75.4

-35.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.90 NT$59.7

-22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.87 NT$90.4

-65.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.93 NT$29.16

-45.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.46 NT$203

-31.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.19 NT$352

73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.85 NT$58.3

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.37 NT$74.5

14.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.87 NT$27.54

57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$39.63 NT$1,247

-71.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.00 NT$94.3

0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.73 NT$22.84

35.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.25 NT$260

70.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.07 NT$33.64

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-22.94%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.2K NT$823.6K

25.75%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$64.4 NT$2,027

88.98%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$28.45 NT$895

-52.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.94 NT$596

-3.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.89 NT$1,161

63.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.01 NT$473

14.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$10.21 NT$321

-14.89%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$566 NT$17.8K

22.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-48.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$31.72 NT$999

87.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$23.77 NT$748

46.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$68.8 NT$2,166

66.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$103 NT$3,233

-18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$345 NT$10.9K

77.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$168 NT$5,279

160.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,039 NT$32.7K

101.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$730 NT$23.0K

106.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-79.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

166.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 386% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Miaoli. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $314, 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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Miaoli differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 386% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $345 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.