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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,074 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,873 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,672 in Tainan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tainan 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.12 NT$193

-23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$26.69 NT$841

69.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$5.11 NT$161

64.97%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.50 NT$110

-16.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.12 NT$35.27

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.79 NT$24.77

-53.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.30 NT$104

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.35 NT$105

11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$3.15 NT$99.3

-29.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.92 NT$60.4

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.02 NT$95.0

-28.15%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.85 NT$89.7

-22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$19.81 NT$624

-0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.98 NT$315

-63.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$20.31 NT$640

-33.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.33 NT$137

-24.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.82 NT$88.8

-42.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.87 NT$90.3

-16.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.27 NT$135

-51.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.87 NT$90.4

-46.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.21 NT$69.5

-33.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.68 NT$52.8

-41.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.06 NT$33.30

-51.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.16 NT$131

6.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$13.93 NT$439

39.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.74 NT$54.8

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.40 NT$75.7

12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.62 NT$19.56

120.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$21.71 NT$684

-47.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.83 NT$89.0

6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.78 NT$24.63

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.36 NT$326

36.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.02 NT$32.08

33.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-25.19%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.5K NT$836.1K

23.97%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$86.7 NT$2,732

40.37%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$18.57 NT$585

-26.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.99 NT$724

-20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$39.82 NT$1,254

51.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.42 NT$486

11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.93 NT$376

-27.16%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$269 NT$8,479

157.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$6,829 NT$215.1K

129.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$59.5 NT$1,874

0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.34 NT$956

14.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$92.2 NT$2,905

24.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$122 NT$3,848

-31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$328 NT$10.3K

86.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$195 NT$6,157

123.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$684 NT$21.5K

206.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$712 NT$22.4K

112.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$3,183 NT$100.3K

17.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$3,153 NT$99.3K

-17.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,368 NT$43.1K

-62.84%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $328 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 169% 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 $27.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tainan earns 169% 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 $328 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $269 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,265 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.