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: $1,143 in Pingtung city versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,888 in Pingtung city versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,633 in Pingtung city versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Pingtung city costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pingtung city 14% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 NT$160

$4.55 ฿153

9.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.08 NT$1,004

$46.18 ฿1,554

-32.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 NT$173

$8.84 ฿298

-39.48%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$94.8

$3.06 ฿103

-4.25%

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

$1.03 NT$33.16

$0.73 ฿24.42

41.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.50

$0.40 ฿13.40

82.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 NT$53.8

$2.43 ฿81.8

-31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NT$85.6

$3.78 ฿127

-29.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.89 NT$126

$2.26 ฿76.0

72.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$64.1

$1.81 ฿60.9

9.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.1

$2.25 ฿75.8

21.33%

Eggs

$3.28 NT$106

$2.25 ฿75.6

45.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.00 NT$517

$19.51 ฿656

-17.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 NT$258

$3.65 ฿123

118.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$519

$13.05 ฿439

23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 NT$148

$3.23 ฿109

41.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 NT$56.4

$1.62 ฿54.4

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.2

$2.38 ฿80.2

-8.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.4

$2.03 ฿68.2

46.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 NT$41.34

$1.53 ฿51.6

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NT$62.7

$1.50 ฿50.5

29.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 NT$62.4

$0.98 ฿32.93

96.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$38.18

$0.52 ฿17.40

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$131

$4.44 ฿149

-8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 NT$492

$18.32 ฿616

-16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$54.1

$1.86 ฿62.7

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$82.0

$2.68 ฿90.2

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.35

$1.41 ฿47.49

-37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 NT$1,253

$11.70 ฿394

231.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$93.9

$3.11 ฿105

-6.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.65

$1.04 ฿35.08

-24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 NT$194

$14.11 ฿475

-57.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.50

$1.31 ฿44.13

-22.90%

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

$33.7K NT$1.1M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

21.16%

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

$25.2K NT$815.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-24.02%

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

$95.2 NT$3,075

$122 ฿4,120

-22.27%

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

$24.36 NT$787

$13.59 ฿457

79.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.40 NT$691

$18.70 ฿629

14.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 NT$1,201

$60.5 ฿2,035

-38.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 NT$485

$16.98 ฿572

-11.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$327

$9.07 ฿305

11.47%

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

$359 NT$11.6K

$706 ฿23.8K

-49.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$363.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-28.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 NT$2,685

$58.6 ฿1,970

41.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 NT$1,130

$35.36 ฿1,190

-1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 NT$2,851

$115 ฿3,885

-23.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 NT$3,222

$83.7 ฿2,818

19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NT$14.2K

$626 ฿21.1K

-29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 NT$9,458

$445 ฿15.0K

-34.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 NT$34.2K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-48.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 NT$23.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-51.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,912 NT$61.8K

$500 ฿16.8K

282.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

5.33

-59.10%

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

Last update for Pingtung city: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Pingtung city and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pingtung city pays 282% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $289, 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. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 282% 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: $439 in Pingtung city versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $359 in Pingtung city versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,143 in Pingtung city versus $1,250 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.