Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,175 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,977 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,779 in Taichung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.17 NT$163

-9.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$30.14 NT$949

50.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.48 NT$172

53.83%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.03 NT$95.5

-3.30%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.16 NT$36.61

-40.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.86 NT$27.02

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.19 NT$68.9

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.93 NT$92.4

26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$3.86 NT$122

-42.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.74 NT$54.9

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.82 NT$88.7

-23.05%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.27 NT$103

-32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$31.67 NT$997

-37.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.26 NT$260

-56.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$16.07 NT$506

-15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.64 NT$146

-29.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.76 NT$55.5

-8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.26 NT$71.0

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.97 NT$93.6

-29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.27 NT$40.12

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.97 NT$62.1

-24.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.36 NT$74.3

-58.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.30 NT$40.95

-60.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.96 NT$125

11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$16.23 NT$511

19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.71 NT$53.8

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.66 NT$83.7

1.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.94 NT$29.57

45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$28.86 NT$908

-60.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.92 NT$92.1

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.24 NT$38.97

-20.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.25 NT$323

37.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.05 NT$33.02

29.52%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.5K NT$1.1M

-18.36%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.0K NT$816.9K

26.78%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$96.6 NT$3,042

25.93%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$24.51 NT$771

-44.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.07 NT$695

-17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.44 NT$1,147

65.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$10.09 NT$318

69.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$10.52 NT$331

-17.40%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$355 NT$11.2K

95.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-24.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$84.1 NT$2,646

-29.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$34.06 NT$1,072

2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$96.9 NT$3,049

18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$130 NT$4,092

-35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$379 NT$11.9K

61.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$292 NT$9,184

49.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,056 NT$33.2K

98.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$731 NT$23.0K

106.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$7,297 NT$229.7K

-48.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-50.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,420 NT$44.7K

-64.21%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $379 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 179% 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 $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $402, 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Taichung earns 179% 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 $379 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $355 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taichung 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 Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.