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 $1,186 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,066 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,945 in Tainan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tainan 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.70 NT$149

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$25.49 NT$807

26.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.75 NT$150

82.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$3.26 NT$103

-11.04%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$1.36 NT$43.02

-38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.85 NT$27.02

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$3.13 NT$99.3

-20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.53 NT$112

5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$3.19 NT$101

-40.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$1.73 NT$54.9

-18.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.98 NT$94.3

-45.64%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.16 NT$100

-29.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$22.90 NT$725

-13.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$12.95 NT$410

-73.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$20.78 NT$658

-45.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$5.44 NT$172

-46.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.81 NT$89.0

-38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$4.84 NT$153

-53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$7.14 NT$226

-70.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$4.77 NT$151

-69.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$4.49 NT$142

-68.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$3.02 NT$95.7

-63.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$1.50 NT$47.51

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.90 NT$124

10.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$12.17 NT$385

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$2.02 NT$63.9

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$2.34 NT$74.1

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$0.66 NT$20.78

240.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

$34.24 NT$1,084

-31.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$2.65 NT$83.8

16.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$0.97 NT$30.74

11.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.75 NT$182

-32.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.03 NT$32.49

38.83%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-24.61%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$25.5K NT$808.5K

5.71%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$90.7 NT$2,872

15.60%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$17.28 NT$547

-34.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$21.61 NT$685

-18.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$45.85 NT$1,452

18.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$10.79 NT$342

-27.90%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$438 NT$13.9K

31.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$5,477 NT$173.5K

111.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$94.1 NT$2,980

-32.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$46.73 NT$1,480

-37.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$118 NT$3,742

-18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$123 NT$3,908

-27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$313 NT$9,917

134.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$198 NT$6,280

152.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$866 NT$27.4K

145.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$714 NT$22.6K

75.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$4,188 NT$132.6K

-15.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$3,165 NT$100.2K

-17.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,403 NT$44.5K

-63.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.5

122.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tainan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $313 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 177% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $461, 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 Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 177% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $313 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $438 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 68% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,186 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.