Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,077 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,884 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,690 in Tainan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tainan 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.08 NT$196

-25.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$27.21 NT$878

69.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.94 NT$159

78.95%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.48 NT$112

-12.07%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.13 NT$36.34

-35.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.75 NT$24.16

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.36 NT$109

-27.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.45 NT$111

9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$3.21 NT$104

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.88 NT$60.5

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.87 NT$92.5

-21.60%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.78 NT$89.7

-19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$19.96 NT$644

-2.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.11 NT$326

-63.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$20.25 NT$654

-35.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.30 NT$139

-24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.93 NT$94.7

-44.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.90 NT$93.6

-17.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.16 NT$134

-51.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.92 NT$94.3

-47.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.28 NT$73.6

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.70 NT$54.9

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.07 NT$34.51

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.05 NT$131

9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$13.52 NT$436

35.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.75 NT$56.6

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.35 NT$75.9

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.59 NT$18.88

138.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$21.97 NT$709

-46.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.90 NT$93.5

7.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.79 NT$25.54

31.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.32 NT$333

36.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.01 NT$32.65

29.70%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$38.6K NT$1.2M

-27.94%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.4K NT$853.7K

25.59%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$84.6 NT$2,730

44.73%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.51 NT$597

-26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$23.10 NT$746

-19.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$40.10 NT$1,294

50.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$15.06 NT$486

12.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.73 NT$379

-22.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$273 NT$8,810

158.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,899 NT$222.7K

129.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$57.6 NT$1,858

1.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.71 NT$991

15.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$92.6 NT$2,989

24.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$121 NT$3,917

-31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$331 NT$10.7K

89.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$194 NT$6,257

129.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$695 NT$22.4K

193.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$731 NT$23.6K

104.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,050 NT$98.5K

14.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,037 NT$98.0K

-15.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,352 NT$43.6K

-63.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.83

191.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $331 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 171% 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 $27.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $390, 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Tainan. 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 $331 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $273 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tainan 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 Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.