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: $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Tainan versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tainan versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 20% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$4.70 ฿154

30.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$841

$45.37 ฿1,483

-41.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$8.43 ฿276

-39.38%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$2.93 ฿95.7

19.45%

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

$1.12 NT$35.27

$0.69 ฿22.42

62.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.77

$0.37 ฿12.00

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$2.41 ฿78.7

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$3.72 ฿122

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.3

$2.23 ฿73.0

41.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$1.83 ฿59.9

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$2.17 ฿70.9

39.17%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$2.21 ฿72.4

28.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$19.74 ฿645

0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$315

$3.63 ฿119

174.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$640

$13.53 ฿442

50.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$3.28 ฿107

32.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$1.61 ฿52.7

75.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.41 ฿78.7

19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$2.08 ฿68.1

105.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$1.53 ฿49.97

87.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$1.48 ฿48.41

49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$0.99 ฿32.32

69.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.30

$0.51 ฿16.68

107.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$4.41 ฿144

-5.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$439

$19.38 ฿634

-28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$1.78 ฿58.1

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.7

$2.71 ฿88.7

-11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.56

$1.37 ฿44.83

-54.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$11.39 ฿372

90.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$3.02 ฿98.7

-6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$0.99 ฿32.51

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$14.10 ฿461

-26.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.08

$1.36 ฿44.55

-25.00%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

33.68%

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

$26.5K NT$836.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.34%

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

$86.7 NT$2,732

$122 ฿3,978

-28.76%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$13.57 ฿444

36.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$18.31 ฿599

25.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,254

$60.2 ฿1,969

-33.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$17.14 ฿560

-10.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$8.69 ฿284

37.28%

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

$269 NT$8,479

$693 ฿22.7K

-61.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.1K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-56.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,874

$59.5 ฿1,946

-0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$956

$34.77 ฿1,137

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,905

$115 ฿3,746

-19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,848

$83.3 ฿2,723

46.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$613 ฿20.0K

-46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,157

$437 ฿14.3K

-55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-52.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.3K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-15.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

20.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.1K

$508 ฿16.6K

169.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

5.33

-65.67%

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

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Tainan and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tainan pays 169% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Tainan vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 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

Tainan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tainan pays 169% 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: $328 in Tainan versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tainan 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 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,265 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.