Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and New Taipei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and New Taipei City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,384 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,281 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,179 in New Taipei City.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 11% less than in New Taipei City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, New Taipei City is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.16 NT$163

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$34.11 NT$1,080

37.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.67 NT$180

55.91%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.94 NT$92.9

2.04%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.89 NT$28.07

-16.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.78 NT$24.84

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.05 NT$64.8

19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.74 NT$86.6

31.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.20 NT$101

-29.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.89 NT$60.0

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.01 NT$95.4

-25.58%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.92 NT$92.4

-20.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$20.31 NT$643

-3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.78 NT$278

-58.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$20.32 NT$643

-35.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.67 NT$148

-27.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.64 NT$83.5

-37.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.73 NT$86.3

-11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.21 NT$133

-51.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.81 NT$88.8

-44.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.29 NT$72.5

-34.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.03 NT$64.3

-49.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.30 NT$41.29

-62.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.04 NT$128

10.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.37 NT$296

101.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.65 NT$52.2

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.34 NT$73.9

17.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.65 NT$20.50

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$41.17 NT$1,303

-72.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.84 NT$90.0

9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.74 NT$23.54

35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$10.21 NT$323

38.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.07 NT$33.89

26.17%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$38.7K NT$1.2M

-29.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.0K NT$887.5K

17.40%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$97.4 NT$3,084

28.26%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$24.77 NT$784

-45.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$24.23 NT$767

-23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$39.12 NT$1,238

57.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.27 NT$515

3.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.65 NT$369

-21.12%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$633 NT$20.0K

10.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$18.7K NT$591.3K

-16.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$78.3 NT$2,478

-26.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.44 NT$1,090

2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$95.0 NT$3,006

19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$123 NT$3,899

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$655 NT$20.7K

-6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$464 NT$14.7K

-3.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,731 NT$54.8K

18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,083 NT$34.3K

37.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$12.7K NT$400.6K

-70.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$7,233 NT$228.9K

-63.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,366 NT$43.2K

-61.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.19

143.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $655 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Taipei City pays 161% 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 $34.00 in New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $380, 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 New Taipei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and New Taipei City differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,384 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, New Taipei City earns 161% 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 $655 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,384 in New Taipei City – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 259% less than in New Taipei City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,384 in New Taipei City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. 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 New Taipei City 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 12% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.