Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taitung

For one person, living is cheaper in Taitung: $1,040 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Taitung
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Taitung Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Taitung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Taitung

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Taitung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Taitung.

Phuket $1,294
Taitung $1,040

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,750 in Taitung.

Phuket $2,204
Taitung $1,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,460 in Taitung.

Phuket $3,115
Taitung $2,460

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Taitung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Taitung 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.71 NT$122

18.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$46.72 NT$1,535

-30.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$5.82 NT$191

49.48%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$3.26 NT$107

-16.56%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$0.87 NT$28.53

6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$0.67 NT$22.02

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$2.95 NT$96.9

-14.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.60 NT$118

0.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$2.92 NT$96.0

-40.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$1.79 NT$58.9

-18.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.07 NT$101

-51.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.19 NT$71.8

-0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$19.44 NT$639

-1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.59 NT$118

-5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$21.06 NT$692

-48.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$1.87 NT$61.3

57.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.69 NT$88.3

-37.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$1.80 NT$59.3

21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.43 NT$146

-52.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.76 NT$90.6

-47.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$2.19 NT$72.0

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.64 NT$53.8

-34.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$1.12 NT$36.77

-50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$3.82 NT$125

15.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$13.98 NT$459

30.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.61 NT$52.8

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.12 NT$69.7

35.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.60 NT$19.77

141.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$34.09 NT$1,120

61.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.56 NT$84.1

-41.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$0.81 NT$26.54

-3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$9.37 NT$308

-59.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$0.95 NT$31.16

56.84%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-20.67%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$23.0K NT$755.8K

14.50%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$85.2 NT$2,798

14.84%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$17.57 NT$577

-35.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$26.85 NT$882

-35.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$35.26 NT$1,158

93.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$9.08 NT$298

-18.17%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$572 NT$18.8K

-7.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$23.5K NT$772.3K

-20.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$27.39 NT$900

125.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$15.30 NT$502

84.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$48.97 NT$1,609

96.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$104 NT$3,411

-16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$406 NT$13.3K

77.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$277 NT$9,084

84.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$1,140 NT$37.5K

71.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$691 NT$22.7K

102.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$5,806 NT$190.7K

-27.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$3,826 NT$125.7K

-13.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$613 NT$20.1K

-19.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.37

135.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taitung: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Taitung

$277 26.6% 45.7% $232

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Taitung

$335 32.2% 25.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Taitung

$130 12.5% 2.6% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Taitung

$88 8.5% 28.3% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Taitung

$114 11% 4.3% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Taitung

$53 5.1% 35.8% $30

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Taitung

$43 4.1% 34.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $406 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taitung pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $47 in Taitung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $335 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇼 Taitung

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

106,368

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 TWD = 3.04 USD

100 TWD = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 32.85 TWD (100 TWD = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 36.83 TWD (100 TWD = 2.72 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Taitung 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Taitung

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 20% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $406 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $572 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Taitung gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Taitung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.