Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,123 in Taichung versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,916 in Taichung versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Taichung versus $2,913 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 19% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 NT$154

$4.66 ฿154

4.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.16 NT$1,017

$32.22 ฿1,065

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 NT$154

$8.68 ฿287

-43.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 NT$90.9

$2.90 ฿95.8

-1.03%

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

$1.03 NT$32.70

$0.84 ฿27.89

22.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.36

$0.49 ฿16.16

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$49.86

$2.48 ฿82.0

-36.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$3.73 ฿123

-21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 NT$104

$1.89 ฿62.3

74.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.2

$1.41 ฿46.54

26.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 NT$84.6

$1.62 ฿53.6

65.43%

Eggs

$2.63 NT$83.1

$2.24 ฿74.1

17.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.27 NT$926

$19.84 ฿656

47.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 NT$257

$3.48 ฿115

133.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 NT$529

$11.37 ฿376

47.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 NT$136

$2.90 ฿95.8

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NT$62.5

$1.72 ฿57.0

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 NT$59.1

$2.27 ฿75.1

-17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 NT$72.6

$2.13 ฿70.4

7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 NT$39.29

$1.47 ฿48.72

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 NT$62.0

$1.42 ฿46.92

38.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 NT$76.9

$1.10 ฿36.25

120.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 NT$27.57

$0.60 ฿19.76

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 NT$119

$4.31 ฿142

-12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 NT$493

$18.60 ฿615

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.0

$1.80 ฿59.5

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 NT$82.2

$2.97 ฿98.0

-12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 NT$21.43

$2.25 ฿74.2

-69.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.34 NT$991

$23.49 ฿776

33.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NT$84.3

$3.10 ฿102

-13.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.56

$1.08 ฿35.56

-10.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 NT$294

$3.87 ฿128

140.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.24

$1.43 ฿47.16

-28.67%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

21.54%

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

$22.9K NT$725.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-14.99%

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

$108 NT$3,404

$105 ฿3,462

2.69%

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

$15.03 NT$475

$11.39 ฿376

31.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.12 NT$668

$17.54 ฿580

20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.21 NT$1,019

$54.3 ฿1,795

-40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 NT$421

$11.44 ฿378

16.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 NT$318

$7.78 ฿257

29.05%

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

$345 NT$10.9K

$576 ฿19.0K

-40.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$532.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

45.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 NT$2,181

$63.6 ฿2,103

8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 NT$1,158

$29.10 ฿961

25.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,648

$96.2 ฿3,179

-12.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NT$3,468

$90.0 ฿2,974

21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 NT$12.8K

$733 ฿24.2K

-44.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$8,992

$501 ฿16.5K

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 NT$38.5K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-42.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 NT$23.7K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-40.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,201 NT$227.8K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

103.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,336 NT$168.7K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

103.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,399 NT$44.2K

$508 ฿16.8K

175.65%

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 Taichung: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Taichung and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 176% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Taichung vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $275, 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

Taichung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Taichung, 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: $405 in Taichung versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $345 in Taichung versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,123 in Taichung versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taichung 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, Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.