Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taipa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taipa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,003 in Taipa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $3,142 in Taipa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $4,282 in Taipa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Taipa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Taipa is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.23 MOP 50.3

-25.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$55.5 MOP 449

-41.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.82 MOP 46.97

49.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$4.88 MOP 39.41

-40.57%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.77 MOP 6.22

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.38 MOP 3.07

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$5.81 MOP 46.90

-57.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$7.40 MOP 59.8

-49.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$3.21 MOP 25.91

-41.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.69 MOP 13.69

-16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.73 MOP 14.01

-6.36%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.33 MOP 26.88

-32.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$16.04 MOP 130

23.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$19.46 MOP 157

-82.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$29.06 MOP 235

-60.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.58 MOP 20.88

12.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.87 MOP 23.22

-40.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.89 MOP 15.29

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.33 MOP 18.86

-8.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$3.92 MOP 31.66

-62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.84 MOP 22.96

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.66 MOP 5.32

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.20 MOP 9.69

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$6.71 MOP 54.2

-35.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$12.43 MOP 100

49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.71 MOP 13.85

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.19 MOP 17.70

35.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.56 MOP 20.67

21.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.23 MOP 9.92

-12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$15.10 MOP 122

-74.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.80 MOP 14.52

-20.56%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$30.8K MOP 248.5K

-9.70%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.2K MOP 252.1K

-13.54%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$124 MOP 1,001

-15.47%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$23.31 MOP 188

-51.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$37.52 MOP 303

-53.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$73.1 MOP 591

-25.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$3.71 MOP 29.94

208.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$12.46 MOP 101

-37.56%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$1,228 MOP 9,919

-53.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$18.8K MOP 151.9K

-38.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$68.5 MOP 553

-7.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$33.12 MOP 267

-12.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$91.3 MOP 737

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$137 MOP 1,109

-34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,071 MOP 8,649

-31.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$972 MOP 7,853

-48.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$2,084 MOP 16.8K

2.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,885 MOP 15.2K

-33.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$15.8K MOP 127.3K

-77.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$13.1K MOP 105.6K

-79.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Taipa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,071 in Taipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $56.0 in Taipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $424 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Taipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $3,005 in Taipa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $1,071 in Taipa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $1,228 in Taipa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $56.0 in Taipa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,003 in Taipa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Taipa. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Taipa 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Taipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.