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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,140 in Zhubei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,070 in Zhubei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,001 in Zhubei City.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zhubei City 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.19 NT$167

-12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.12 NT$1,101

35.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.68 NT$183

55.63%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.56 NT$115

-14.04%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.91 NT$29.22

-19.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.62 NT$20.02

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.24 NT$72.2

8.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.76 NT$88.9

36.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$3.11 NT$100

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.06 NT$66.4

-12.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.34 NT$140

-48.16%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.91 NT$93.9

-22.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.84 NT$447

40.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.46 NT$273

-56.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$28.32 NT$914

-53.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.34 NT$140

-25.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.63 NT$85.0

-38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.73 NT$88.0

-12.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.91 NT$126

-48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$4.04 NT$131

-62.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.53 NT$81.6

-40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.64 NT$85.3

-62.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.33 NT$42.79

-60.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.97 NT$128

11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.74 NT$282

109.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.57 NT$50.7

18.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.83 NT$91.4

-5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.65 NT$21.00

116.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$39.36 NT$1,270

-70.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.35 NT$108

-7.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.58 NT$18.88

79.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.04 NT$324

40.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.07 NT$34.51

22.43%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$40.9K NT$1.3M

-32.03%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.3K NT$879.5K

21.89%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$91.7 NT$2,959

33.54%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.73 NT$1,088

-59.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$24.46 NT$789

-23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$33.75 NT$1,089

79.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$15.19 NT$490

11.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.68 NT$377

-22.35%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$703 NT$22.7K

0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$15.5K NT$500.6K

1.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$84.4 NT$2,724

-30.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$47.17 NT$1,522

-25.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$101 NT$3,251

14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$114 NT$3,666

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$438 NT$14.1K

42.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$212 NT$6,834

110.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,202 NT$38.8K

69.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$857 NT$27.7K

74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$16.4K NT$527.7K

-78.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$9,443 NT$304.8K

-72.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,391 NT$77.2K

-79.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

2.4

122.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $438 in Zhubei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 378% 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 $34.00 in Zhubei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $392, 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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhubei City is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 378% lower in Zhubei 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: $626 in Phuket versus $438 in Zhubei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $703 in Zhubei City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,140 in Zhubei City versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhubei 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 Zhubei 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 Zhubei City 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.