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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,069 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,796 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,523 in Zhongli City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Zhongli City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Zhongli City 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.19 NT$168

-13.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$20.11 NT$649

126.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.81 NT$155

82.12%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.50 NT$80.9

18.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.77 NT$24.99

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.60 NT$19.42

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.43 NT$46.15

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.56 NT$50.5

140.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.25 NT$105

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.69 NT$54.6

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.75 NT$88.8

-20.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.68 NT$86.7

-16.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$30.83 NT$995

-35.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.31 NT$268

-56.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$15.56 NT$503

-12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.72 NT$152

-31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.81 NT$58.5

-9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.17 NT$70.2

7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.97 NT$95.8

-30.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.35 NT$43.44

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.98 NT$63.8

-26.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.31 NT$74.7

-57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.30 NT$42.02

-63.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.08 NT$132

6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$15.30 NT$494

21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.72 NT$55.5

8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.42 NT$78.1

9.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.63 NT$20.28

125.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$40.90 NT$1,321

-71.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.82 NT$91.0

12.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.74 NT$23.94

39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$10.25 NT$331

35.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.99 NT$31.91

35.35%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$33.5K NT$1.1M

-17.12%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.0K NT$839.1K

28.47%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$97.7 NT$3,156

25.92%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.76 NT$444

0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$10.15 NT$328

80.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$37.54 NT$1,212

61.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.24 NT$492

12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$9.51 NT$307

-6.73%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$365 NT$11.8K

88.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$21.0K NT$679.2K

-24.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$61.4 NT$1,982

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$20.46 NT$661

69.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$79.2 NT$2,557

45.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$67.1 NT$2,166

24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$426 NT$13.8K

45.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$264 NT$8,541

68.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,051 NT$33.9K

93.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$734 NT$23.7K

103.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,282 NT$73.7K

-78.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.1

153.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $426 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 362% 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 $20.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $387, 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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 362% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $426 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $365 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 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,069 in Zhongli City versus $1,264 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.