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: $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Taichung costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 12% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.70 ฿153

10.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$45.37 ฿1,482

-33.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$8.43 ฿275

-34.99%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$2.93 ฿95.6

3.41%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$0.69 ฿22.40

68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$0.37 ฿11.99

132.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$2.41 ฿78.6

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$3.72 ฿122

-21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$2.23 ฿72.9

73.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$1.83 ฿59.8

-4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.95%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$2.21 ฿72.3

47.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$19.74 ฿645

60.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$3.63 ฿119

127.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$13.53 ฿442

18.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$3.28 ฿107

41.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$1.61 ฿52.6

9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.41 ฿78.6

-6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$2.08 ฿68.1

42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$1.53 ฿49.93

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.48 ฿48.36

33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$0.99 ฿32.29

138.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$0.51 ฿16.67

154.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.41 ฿144

-10.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$19.38 ฿633

-16.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.78 ฿58.1

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.71 ฿88.6

-1.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$1.37 ฿44.79

-31.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$11.39 ฿372

153.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$3.02 ฿98.6

-3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.99 ฿32.48

25.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$14.10 ฿461

-27.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$1.36 ฿44.51

-22.79%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

22.48%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.12%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$122 ฿3,975

-20.59%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$13.57 ฿443

80.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$18.31 ฿598

20.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$17.14 ฿560

-41.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$8.69 ฿284

21.06%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$693 ฿22.6K

-48.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

33.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$59.5 ฿1,944

41.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$34.77 ฿1,136

-2.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$115 ฿3,743

-15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$83.3 ฿2,720

56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$613 ฿20.0K

-38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$437 ฿14.3K

-33.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-51.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

94.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

101.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$508 ฿16.6K

179.41%

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 Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 179% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Taichung vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 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

Taichung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Taichung pays 179% 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: $379 in Taichung versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Taichung 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 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,175 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.