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: $1,125 in Pingtung city versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Pingtung city versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Pingtung city versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Pingtung city costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pingtung city 16% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 NT$155

$4.70 ฿153

5.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.69 NT$966

$45.37 ฿1,482

-32.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 NT$171

$8.43 ฿275

-35.47%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.3

$2.93 ฿95.6

3.41%

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

$1.03 NT$32.29

$0.69 ฿22.40

49.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$23.98

$0.37 ฿11.99

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 NT$52.7

$2.41 ฿78.6

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NT$82.8

$3.72 ฿122

-29.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.83 NT$121

$2.23 ฿72.9

71.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.83 ฿59.8

8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.3

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.03%

Eggs

$3.19 NT$100

$2.21 ฿72.3

44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.76 NT$496

$19.74 ฿645

-20.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$3.63 ฿119

127.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 NT$504

$13.53 ฿442

18.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 NT$143

$3.28 ฿107

38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NT$57.2

$1.61 ฿52.6

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NT$72.5

$2.41 ฿78.6

-4.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.3

$2.08 ฿68.1

43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 NT$40.88

$1.53 ฿49.93

-15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$59.5

$1.48 ฿48.36

27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NT$60.5

$0.99 ฿32.29

93.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.28

$0.51 ฿16.67

131.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$125

$4.41 ฿144

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.77 NT$496

$19.38 ฿633

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.6

$1.78 ฿58.1

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$80.7

$2.71 ฿88.6

-5.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.58

$1.37 ฿44.79

-35.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,211

$11.39 ฿372

237.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$90.2

$3.02 ฿98.6

-5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.03

$0.99 ฿32.48

-26.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 NT$189

$14.10 ฿461

-57.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.21

$1.36 ฿44.51

-22.06%

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

$33.4K NT$1.1M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

18.34%

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

$25.8K NT$811.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.64%

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

$95.5 NT$3,005

$122 ฿3,975

-21.55%

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

$25.05 NT$788

$13.57 ฿443

84.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.34 NT$672

$18.31 ฿598

16.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 NT$1,166

$60.2 ฿1,967

-38.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$485

$17.14 ฿560

-10.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$318

$8.69 ฿284

16.34%

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

$362 NT$11.4K

$693 ฿22.6K

-47.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$353.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-28.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 NT$2,627

$59.5 ฿1,944

40.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 NT$1,090

$34.77 ฿1,136

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 NT$2,833

$115 ฿3,743

-21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,254

$83.3 ฿2,720

24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$13.7K

$613 ฿20.0K

-28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 NT$9,227

$437 ฿14.3K

-32.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 NT$32.2K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 NT$23.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-51.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,946 NT$61.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

282.91%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Pingtung city and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pingtung city pays 283% 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 $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $293, 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Pingtung city pays 283% more on average, 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: $437 in Pingtung city versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $362 in Pingtung city versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,125 in Pingtung city versus $1,265 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.