Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yilan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yilan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,093 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,692 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,292 in Yilan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Yilan 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.59 NT$116

24.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$30.02 NT$970

51.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.56 NT$179

57.55%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$3.04 NT$98.1

-2.30%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$1.11 NT$35.95

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.75 NT$24.32

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.50 NT$48.51

68.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.92 NT$94.2

28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.55 NT$115

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.68 NT$54.4

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$2.00 NT$64.7

9.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.68 NT$86.7

-16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$31.27 NT$1,010

-36.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.20 NT$265

-55.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$15.73 NT$508

-13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.55 NT$147

-28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.84 NT$26.99

95.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$2.21 NT$71.5

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.66 NT$53.7

24.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.28 NT$41.41

21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$1.35 NT$43.50

8.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$2.19 NT$70.6

-55.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$1.28 NT$41.48

-62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.09 NT$132

6.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$15.76 NT$509

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.47 NT$47.62

26.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.58 NT$83.4

2.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$1.03 NT$33.33

37.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$34.60 NT$1,117

-66.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.80 NT$90.5

13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$1.18 NT$37.99

-12.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$10.28 NT$332

35.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$1.01 NT$32.56

32.67%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$27.6K NT$892.7K

0.54%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.5K NT$760.1K

41.83%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$59.6 NT$1,923

106.60%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$16.60 NT$536

-17.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$21.49 NT$694

-14.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$31.68 NT$1,023

91.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$16.68 NT$539

2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$9.63 NT$311

-7.89%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$358 NT$11.6K

92.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$20.7K NT$669.1K

-23.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$70.3 NT$2,269

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$34.09 NT$1,101

1.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$79.4 NT$2,563

45.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$89.6 NT$2,893

-6.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$296 NT$9,574

109.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$291 NT$9,385

53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$683 NT$22.0K

197.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$499 NT$16.1K

200.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$7,232 NT$233.5K

-52.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$4,994 NT$161.3K

-49.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,013 NT$32.7K

-51.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.18

144.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Yilan: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $296 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yilan pays 105% 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 $30.00 in Yilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $373, 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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yilan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Yilan. 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 $296 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $358 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yilan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yilan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yilan 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 Yilan 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 Yilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.