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 $1,830 in Taipa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,886 in Taipa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,941 in Taipa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Taipa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Taipa is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.09 MOP 49.12

-22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$49.44 MOP 399

-8.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.16 MOP 49.72

36.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.66 MOP 37.61

-37.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.77 MOP 6.25

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.35 MOP 2.85

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.90 MOP 47.66

-59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.02 MOP 56.6

-47.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.33 MOP 10.76

67.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.54 MOP 12.39

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.46 MOP 11.77

48.63%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.94 MOP 15.69

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$17.61 MOP 142

12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.66 MOP 61.8

-52.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$23.26 MOP 188

-41.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.88 MOP 31.33

-15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$3.11 MOP 25.07

-48.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.88 MOP 31.33

-37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.96 MOP 15.82

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$4.44 MOP 35.83

-65.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$3.52 MOP 28.38

-57.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.65 MOP 13.31

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.09 MOP 8.77

-53.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.36 MOP 51.3

-30.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.37 MOP 11.09

29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.01 MOP 16.25

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.56 MOP 20.66

17.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.18 MOP 9.54

-16.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$15.10 MOP 122

-6.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.80 MOP 14.51

-24.44%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$31.5K MOP 254.0K

-10.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K MOP 221.3K

20.02%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$56.9 MOP 460

113.73%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$25.50 MOP 206

-46.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$26.36 MOP 213

-30.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$73.8 MOP 595

-18.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$3.75 MOP 30.24

357.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.42 MOP 100

-30.03%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$676 MOP 5,456

2.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$13.2K MOP 106.2K

19.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$63.9 MOP 516

-6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.47 MOP 230

22.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$88.4 MOP 714

29.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$104 MOP 836

-19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,222 MOP 9,861

-49.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$996 MOP 8,038

-56.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,039 MOP 16.5K

2.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,904 MOP 15.4K

-20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$16.3K MOP 131.2K

-76.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$13.3K MOP 107.4K

-80.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

77.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taipa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,222 in Taipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Taipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $317 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $2,746 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,222 in Taipa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $676 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 $45.00 versus $49.00 in Taipa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,830 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 45% less than in Taipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.