Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,112 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

54

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,112

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taichung and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Taichung versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Taichung $1,112
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Taichung versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Taichung $1,856
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,601 in Taichung versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Taichung $2,601
Phuket $3,154

Living in Taichung costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 18% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 NT$152

$4.47 ฿151

4.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 NT$1,014

$32.41 ฿1,094

-3.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.64 NT$150

$8.81 ฿297

-47.33%

Cappuccino

$2.89 NT$93.8

$2.83 ฿95.5

2.12%

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

$1.03 NT$33.31

$0.87 ฿29.43

18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.47

$0.49 ฿16.67

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 NT$48.52

$2.56 ฿86.4

-41.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$86.3

$3.68 ฿124

-27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 NT$99.9

$1.66 ฿56.0

85.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.46 ฿49.35

13.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 NT$83.8

$1.50 ฿50.6

72.67%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.4

$2.09 ฿70.5

21.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.53 NT$924

$19.07 ฿644

49.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 NT$251

$3.30 ฿111

135.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 NT$537

$10.91 ฿368

52.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 NT$137

$2.93 ฿99.0

43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 NT$62.8

$1.69 ฿57.1

14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NT$97.6

$2.25 ฿75.8

33.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 NT$69.1

$2.08 ฿70.1

2.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 NT$39.28

$1.51 ฿51.0

-19.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NT$62.6

$1.38 ฿46.56

39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NT$73.1

$1.07 ฿35.99

110.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 NT$28.87

$0.52 ฿17.52

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 NT$123

$4.20 ฿142

-9.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 NT$489

$18.79 ฿634

-19.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 NT$51.7

$1.82 ฿61.5

-12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$78.6

$2.84 ฿95.9

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 NT$20.46

$1.45 ฿49.03

-56.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.67 NT$605

$56.7 ฿1,913

-67.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NT$83.5

$3.02 ฿102

-14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 NT$29.11

$1.02 ฿34.36

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 NT$298

$3.69 ฿125

149.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.71

$1.47 ฿49.81

-29.25%

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

$35.3K NT$1.1M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

31.76%

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

$22.2K NT$720.4K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-16.69%

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

$122 NT$3,956

$96.4 ฿3,254

26.74%

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

$14.52 NT$470

$11.26 ฿380

28.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.46 NT$663

$16.85 ฿569

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.28 NT$1,013

$67.2 ฿2,270

-53.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 NT$369

$10.73 ฿362

6.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 NT$331

$7.50 ฿253

36.27%

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

$326 NT$10.6K

$476 ฿16.1K

-31.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K NT$533.0K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

46.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 NT$2,325

$62.4 ฿2,106

15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.78 NT$1,159

$28.41 ฿959

25.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 NT$2,645

$94.3 ฿3,184

-13.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 NT$3,587

$85.8 ฿2,898

29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 NT$12.4K

$716 ฿24.2K

-46.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 NT$8,612

$491 ฿16.6K

-45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 NT$38.5K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-38.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 NT$23.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,811 NT$188.3K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

39.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 NT$138.2K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

40.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,400 NT$45.3K

$502 ฿17.0K

178.68%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$368 33.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 27.6% $101

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$266 23.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 84.7% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$157 14.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 20.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$135 12.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 9.7% $13

Eating Out

Taichung

$106 9.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 14.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$52 4.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 59% $31

Getting Around

Taichung

$28 2.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 150% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Taichung and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Taichung vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $266, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

01:40 1:40 AM

1 h behind Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

79,308

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.09 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 32.4 TWD (100 TWD = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 36.07 TWD (100 TWD = 2.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taichung Phuket 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 transport, leisure, and eating out. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Taichung is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $382 in Taichung versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Taichung versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Taichung is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.