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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,835 in Taipa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,895 in Taipa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,956 in Taipa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Taipa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.06 MOP 48.91

-24.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$50.1 MOP 405

-7.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.29 MOP 50.8

40.54%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.68 MOP 37.78

-34.62%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.76 MOP 6.12

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.38 MOP 3.09

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.73 MOP 46.25

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$7.15 MOP 57.7

-47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.37 MOP 11.08

64.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.54 MOP 12.41

17.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.51 MOP 12.21

49.01%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.90 MOP 15.34

18.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$17.47 MOP 141

11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.72 MOP 62.3

-52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$23.08 MOP 186

-43.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.69 MOP 29.81

-12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.01 MOP 24.27

-46.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.75 MOP 30.32

-36.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.89 MOP 15.29

7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$4.38 MOP 35.36

-65.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.50 MOP 28.23

-57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.64 MOP 13.28

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.03 MOP 8.34

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.16 MOP 49.78

-27.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.52 MOP 101

46.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.42 MOP 11.46

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.11 MOP 17.00

27.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.56 MOP 20.70

21.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.23 MOP 9.97

-15.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$15.08 MOP 122

-6.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.82 MOP 14.67

-28.02%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$30.7K MOP 247.6K

-9.28%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.0K MOP 226.3K

18.55%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$56.4 MOP 455

117.13%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$25.59 MOP 207

-46.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.80 MOP 208

-27.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$74.1 MOP 599

-18.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$3.61 MOP 29.16

370.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.55 MOP 101

-27.73%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$675 MOP 5,448

4.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.4K MOP 108.5K

17.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$63.4 MOP 512

-7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$28.51 MOP 230

24.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$89.1 MOP 719

29.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$100.0 MOP 807

-16.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,198 MOP 9,672

-47.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$973 MOP 7,858

-54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

-0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,914 MOP 15.5K

-22.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$16.3K MOP 131.7K

-78.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$13.3K MOP 107.8K

-80.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Taipa: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,198 in Taipa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Taipa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $339 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $2,752 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Taipa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $675 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 $46.00 versus $50.0 in Taipa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,835 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 47% less than in Taipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.