Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taitung Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taitung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,083 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,820 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,558 in Taitung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Taitung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Taitung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.17 NT$135

7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$40.98 NT$1,323

11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.66 NT$183

54.77%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.86 NT$125

-23.06%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.17 NT$37.81

-41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.74 NT$23.87

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.36 NT$109

-24.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.29 NT$106

13.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.12 NT$101

-31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.98 NT$63.8

-8.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.04 NT$98.3

-28.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.50 NT$80.9

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$20.41 NT$659

-2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.10 NT$132

-11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$20.37 NT$658

-33.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.06 NT$66.5

57.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.97 NT$95.9

-44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.05 NT$66.1

13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.24 NT$137

-51.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.84 NT$91.8

-45.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.28 NT$73.7

-35.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.97 NT$63.7

-50.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.38 NT$44.53

-65.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.04 NT$130

7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$14.09 NT$455

31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.73 NT$55.9

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.39 NT$77.3

10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.82 NT$26.63

73.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.67 NT$1,281

-70.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.81 NT$90.6

12.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.72 NT$23.41

43.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$10.23 NT$330

35.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.03 NT$33.40

30.10%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$37.3K NT$1.2M

-25.59%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.3K NT$880.9K

22.36%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$85.0 NT$2,744

44.78%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$18.74 NT$605

-26.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$24.52 NT$792

-25.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$37.36 NT$1,206

62.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.27 NT$493

12.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$10.15 NT$328

-12.61%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$639 NT$20.6K

7.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$19.0K NT$612.7K

-16.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$30.56 NT$987

94.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$16.58 NT$535

109.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$53.2 NT$1,718

116.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$123 NT$3,961

-31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$435 NT$14.1K

42.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$289 NT$9,324

54.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,020 NT$33.0K

99.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$731 NT$23.6K

104.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$6,321 NT$204.1K

-45.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$5,238 NT$169.2K

-51.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$609 NT$19.7K

-18.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.19

143.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Taitung: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $435 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taitung pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $353, 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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taitung is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Taitung. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $435 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $639 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,083 in Taitung versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taitung 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 Taitung 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 Taitung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.