Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tainan versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,035 in Tainan versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,873 in Tainan versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 13% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 NT$154

$4.56 ฿151

6.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.87 NT$789

$32.62 ฿1,082

-23.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 NT$149

$8.90 ฿295

-47.19%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NT$106

$2.80 ฿93.0

18.93%

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

$1.36 NT$43.21

$0.88 ฿29.19

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$28.83

$0.49 ฿16.23

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 NT$99.8

$2.39 ฿79.2

31.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NT$109

$3.71 ฿123

-7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$1.79 ฿59.3

70.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.5

$1.44 ฿47.81

23.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 NT$94.0

$1.58 ฿52.6

87.34%

Eggs

$3.07 NT$97.4

$2.13 ฿70.5

44.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.47 NT$713

$19.92 ฿661

12.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 NT$421

$3.43 ฿114

287.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 NT$679

$11.33 ฿376

88.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 NT$173

$2.95 ฿97.8

84.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 NT$91.5

$1.72 ฿57.1

68.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 NT$155

$2.32 ฿77.1

110.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.20 NT$229

$2.08 ฿69.0

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.66 NT$148

$1.47 ฿48.77

217.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.40 NT$139

$1.36 ฿45.05

223.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NT$91.7

$1.10 ฿36.45

162.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NT$45.64

$0.57 ฿19.06

152.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$129

$4.27 ฿142

-4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 NT$378

$18.42 ฿611

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 NT$64.5

$1.87 ฿62.1

8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$71.2

$2.92 ฿96.9

-22.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.70

$2.22 ฿73.6

-70.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.59 NT$1,066

$22.90 ฿759

46.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$87.5

$3.03 ฿101

-8.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.87

$1.07 ฿35.63

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NT$175

$3.93 ฿130

40.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.35

$1.49 ฿49.49

-31.54%

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

$36.9K NT$1.2M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

36.11%

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

$25.0K NT$793.7K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-8.87%

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

$90.2 NT$2,860

$103 ฿3,410

-12.30%

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

$17.57 NT$557

$10.99 ฿365

59.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 NT$695

$17.51 ฿581

25.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 NT$1,459

$53.5 ฿1,776

-14.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 NT$350

$7.48 ฿248

47.46%

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

$425 NT$13.5K

$557 ฿18.5K

-23.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,560 NT$176.4K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-53.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NT$2,993

$64.1 ฿2,125

47.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 NT$1,470

$29.07 ฿964

59.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NT$3,780

$96.0 ฿3,183

24.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,920

$90.3 ฿2,997

36.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 NT$9,853

$730 ฿24.2K

-57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,150

$500 ฿16.6K

-61.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 NT$26.8K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-59.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.9K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-40.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,189 NT$132.9K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

16.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 NT$99.3K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

24.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.3K

$503 ฿16.7K

171.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

5.57

-55.12%

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

Last update for Tainan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Tainan and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 171% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Tainan vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $461 vs $273, 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

Tainan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 171% higher in Tainan, 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: $311 in Tainan versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Tainan versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 69% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,197 in Tainan versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tainan 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, Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.