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 $1,058 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,502 in Zhongli City.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zhongli City 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.16 NT$163

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$20.19 NT$639

132.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.60 NT$146

92.17%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.49 NT$78.8

20.48%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.73 NT$22.96

1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.57 NT$18.09

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.40 NT$44.39

74.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.50 NT$47.53

140.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$3.31 NT$105

-31.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.75 NT$55.3

5.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.73 NT$86.4

-17.95%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.58 NT$81.8

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$30.96 NT$980

-36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.97 NT$252

-54.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.71 NT$497

-16.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.51 NT$143

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.74 NT$55.2

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.28 NT$72.3

5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.95 NT$93.4

-31.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.27 NT$40.29

22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.88 NT$59.5

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.31 NT$73.0

-55.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.24 NT$39.25

-60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.17 NT$132

6.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$15.69 NT$497

20.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.67 NT$52.9

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.32 NT$73.6

18.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.62 NT$19.69

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$40.57 NT$1,284

-71.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.80 NT$88.7

11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.80 NT$25.17

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$10.02 NT$317

40.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.99 NT$31.19

36.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.6K NT$1.1M

-19.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.0K NT$822.4K

26.70%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$95.9 NT$3,034

30.36%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.45 NT$426

0.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$10.15 NT$321

82.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$37.36 NT$1,183

64.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$15.03 NT$476

12.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.14 NT$289

0.55%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$361 NT$11.4K

93.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$21.0K NT$665.4K

-25.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.0 NT$1,899

-3.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$20.29 NT$642

73.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$77.8 NT$2,463

45.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$68.1 NT$2,156

26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$435 NT$13.8K

41.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$256 NT$8,107

74.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,039 NT$32.9K

97.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$743 NT$23.5K

100.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,336 NT$73.9K

-77.58%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $435 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 346% 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 $20.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $385, 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Zhongli City earns 346% 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 $435 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $361 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 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,058 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.