Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhongli City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zhongli City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $977 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,660 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,344 in Zhongli City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Zhongli City, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Zhongli City 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.69 NT$149

-5.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$32.17 NT$1,024

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.65 NT$148

92.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.58 NT$82.2

12.40%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.98 NT$31.20

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.68 NT$21.67

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.62 NT$51.5

45.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.88 NT$91.7

29.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$3.17 NT$101

-41.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.72 NT$54.9

-14.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.64 NT$84.0

-41.29%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.61 NT$83.0

-19.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$12.49 NT$398

56.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.13 NT$227

-52.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$15.67 NT$499

-27.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.70 NT$118

-19.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.90 NT$60.3

-11.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.83 NT$58.3

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.16 NT$68.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.23 NT$39.20

23.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.92 NT$61.1

-30.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.32 NT$73.9

-51.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.86 NT$27.23

-36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.95 NT$126

7.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$15.87 NT$505

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.63 NT$52.0

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.50 NT$79.7

11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.61 NT$19.55

265.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$38.06 NT$1,212

-40.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.61 NT$82.9

16.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.57 NT$18.16

78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$9.21 NT$293

-57.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.02 NT$32.55

46.08%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$33.5K NT$1.1M

-20.74%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$23.0K NT$733.0K

17.39%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$106 NT$3,387

-3.71%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$14.93 NT$475

-24.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.36 NT$553

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.94 NT$316

-22.64%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$344 NT$11.0K

62.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$16.8K NT$534.9K

-31.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$67.5 NT$2,148

-6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$35.61 NT$1,134

-17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$55.8 NT$1,777

75.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$109 NT$3,474

-18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$460 NT$14.6K

60.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$253 NT$8,048

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$880 NT$28.0K

139.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$721 NT$22.9K

70.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,344 NT$74.6K

-78.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.1

165.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $460 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 375% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Zhongli City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $310 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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 375% lower in Zhongli City. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $460 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $344 in Zhongli City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $977 in Zhongli City versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.