Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingtung city and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pingtung city and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $910 in Pingtung city versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,486 in Pingtung city versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,062 in Pingtung city versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Pingtung city costs roughly 27% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pingtung city 34% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.44 NT$173

$4.56 ฿151

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 NT$982

$32.62 ฿1,082

-5.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 NT$150

$8.90 ฿295

-46.74%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$88.1

$2.80 ฿93.0

-0.71%

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

$1.00 NT$31.63

$0.88 ฿29.19

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.26

$0.49 ฿16.23

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$46.89

$2.39 ฿79.2

-38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 NT$79.2

$3.71 ฿123

-32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 NT$104

$1.79 ฿59.3

83.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NT$68.2

$1.44 ฿47.81

49.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.9

$1.58 ฿52.6

77.22%

Eggs

$2.59 NT$82.3

$2.13 ฿70.5

21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 NT$479

$19.92 ฿661

-24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NT$255

$3.43 ฿114

134.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 NT$495

$11.33 ฿376

37.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$2.95 ฿97.8

44.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NT$60.0

$1.72 ฿57.1

9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NT$58.3

$2.32 ฿77.1

-20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 NT$104

$2.08 ฿69.0

56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 NT$38.25

$1.47 ฿48.77

-17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NT$61.6

$1.36 ฿45.05

42.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 NT$77.0

$1.10 ฿36.45

120.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 NT$29.17

$0.57 ฿19.06

61.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$126

$4.27 ฿142

-7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.97 NT$507

$18.42 ฿611

-13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$51.1

$1.87 ฿62.1

-13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$71.2

$2.92 ฿96.9

-23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 NT$14.53

$2.22 ฿73.6

-79.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$85.5

$3.03 ฿101

-10.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.07

$1.07 ฿35.63

-23.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 NT$197

$3.93 ฿130

58.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.60

$1.49 ฿49.49

-28.86%

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

$34.4K NT$1.1M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

26.63%

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

$23.6K NT$747.9K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-14.12%

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

$110 NT$3,487

$103 ฿3,410

6.92%

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

$14.75 NT$468

$10.99 ฿365

34.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.36 NT$836

$17.51 ฿581

50.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 NT$313

$7.48 ฿248

31.82%

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

$344 NT$10.9K

$557 ฿18.5K

-38.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NT$458.1K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

21.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 NT$2,203

$64.1 ฿2,125

8.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.87 NT$1,106

$29.07 ฿964

19.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,660

$96.0 ฿3,183

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,201

$90.3 ฿2,997

11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,028

$730 ฿24.2K

-65.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$161 NT$5,104

$500 ฿16.6K

-67.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 NT$23.4K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-64.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 NT$11.8K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-69.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,960 NT$62.2K

$503 ฿16.7K

289.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

5.57

-59.25%

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

Last update for Pingtung city: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Pingtung city and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pingtung city pays 289% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Pingtung city vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $273, 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

Pingtung city vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pingtung city is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 289% higher in Pingtung city, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $253 in Pingtung city versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $344 in Pingtung city versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pingtung city – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $910 in Pingtung city versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pingtung city but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pingtung city the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pingtung 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, Pingtung city and Phuket 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 Pingtung city gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.