Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pingtung city Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pingtung city

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,143 in Pingtung city.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,888 in Pingtung city.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,633 in Pingtung city.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Pingtung city, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pingtung city 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.96 NT$160

-8.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$31.08 NT$1,003

48.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.35 NT$173

65.23%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.93 NT$94.7

4.44%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.03 NT$33.12

-29.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.73 NT$23.48

-45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.67 NT$53.8

45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.65 NT$85.5

42.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$3.89 NT$126

-41.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.98 NT$64.1

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.73 NT$88.0

-17.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.28 NT$106

-31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$16.00 NT$516

21.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.99 NT$258

-54.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$16.07 NT$519

-18.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.58 NT$148

-29.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.74 NT$56.3

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.17 NT$70.2

9.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.98 NT$96.3

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.28 NT$41.30

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.94 NT$62.7

-22.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.93 NT$62.4

-49.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.18 NT$38.14

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.05 NT$131

9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$15.23 NT$492

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.67 NT$54.1

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.54 NT$81.9

5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.88 NT$28.32

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$38.78 NT$1,252

-69.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.91 NT$93.8

6.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.79 NT$25.62

31.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.00 NT$194

135.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.01 NT$32.46

29.70%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-17.46%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.2K NT$814.5K

31.62%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$95.2 NT$3,072

28.65%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$24.36 NT$786

-44.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$21.40 NT$691

-12.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.18 NT$1,200

62.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$15.00 NT$484

13.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.11 NT$326

-10.29%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$359 NT$11.6K

96.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$11.2K NT$362.9K

40.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$83.1 NT$2,682

-29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$34.98 NT$1,129

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$88.2 NT$2,847

30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$99.7 NT$3,218

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$439 NT$14.2K

42.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$293 NT$9,447

52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,058 NT$34.1K

92.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$726 NT$23.4K

105.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,912 NT$61.7K

-73.85%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pingtung city: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $439 in Pingtung city. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pingtung city pays 282% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Pingtung city. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $349, 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 Pingtung city: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pingtung city is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 282% lower in Pingtung city. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $439 in Pingtung city. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $359 in Pingtung city. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,143 in Pingtung city versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pingtung city but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pingtung city the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pingtung city is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pingtung 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 Pingtung city gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.