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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,120 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,864 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,607 in Taitung.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Taitung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Taitung 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.97 NT$126

16.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$40.27 NT$1,275

16.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.80 NT$184

52.41%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.76 NT$119

-20.21%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.18 NT$37.32

-37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.75 NT$23.68

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.38 NT$107

-27.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.36 NT$106

7.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.25 NT$103

-30.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.89 NT$59.7

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.06 NT$96.8

-26.80%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.38 NT$75.2

-2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$20.31 NT$643

-3.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.15 NT$131

-12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$20.55 NT$650

-36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 NT$64.9

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.99 NT$94.7

-45.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.02 NT$63.9

19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.11 NT$130

-50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.83 NT$89.6

-44.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.25 NT$71.1

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.96 NT$62.2

-47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.38 NT$43.58

-64.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.12 NT$130

8.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.99 NT$474

25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.76 NT$55.8

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.31 NT$73.2

19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.84 NT$26.43

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.80 NT$1,228

-70.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.83 NT$89.6

10.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.77 NT$24.52

29.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$10.34 NT$327

36.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.03 NT$32.69

31.07%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$38.2K NT$1.2M

-28.76%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.5K NT$869.2K

19.87%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$84.9 NT$2,686

47.28%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$19.04 NT$603

-28.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$24.72 NT$782

-25.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.87 NT$1,199

62.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.08 NT$477

11.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.15 NT$321

-9.46%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$630 NT$19.9K

10.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$18.9K NT$597.1K

-17.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$30.61 NT$969

88.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$16.71 NT$529

110.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$53.3 NT$1,687

112.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$122 NT$3,846

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$425 NT$13.5K

44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$285 NT$9,015

56.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,052 NT$33.3K

94.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$738 NT$23.4K

102.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$6,746 NT$213.5K

-43.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$4,689 NT$148.4K

-43.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$637 NT$20.2K

-17.77%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Taitung: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $425 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taitung pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $354, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Taitung earns 22% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $425 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $630 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 $1,120 in Taitung versus $1,232 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.