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: $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Tainan versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Tainan versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 NT$197

$4.55 ฿153

33.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.21 NT$879

$46.18 ฿1,554

-41.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 NT$160

$8.84 ฿298

-44.12%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NT$113

$3.06 ฿103

13.73%

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

$1.13 NT$36.39

$0.73 ฿24.42

54.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.19

$0.40 ฿13.40

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 NT$109

$2.43 ฿81.8

38.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

$3.78 ฿127

-8.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$2.26 ฿76.0

42.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.6

$1.81 ฿60.9

3.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.6

$2.25 ฿75.8

27.56%

Eggs

$2.78 NT$89.8

$2.25 ฿75.6

23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.96 NT$645

$19.51 ฿656

2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 NT$327

$3.65 ฿123

176.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.25 NT$654

$13.05 ฿439

55.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 NT$139

$3.23 ฿109

33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 NT$94.8

$1.62 ฿54.4

80.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.38 ฿80.2

21.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NT$134

$2.03 ฿68.2

104.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 NT$94.4

$1.53 ฿51.6

90.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.7

$1.50 ฿50.5

52.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$54.9

$0.98 ฿32.93

73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.55

$0.52 ฿17.40

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$131

$4.44 ฿149

-8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 NT$437

$18.32 ฿616

-26.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$56.7

$1.86 ฿62.7

-5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.0

$2.68 ฿90.2

-12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 NT$18.90

$1.41 ฿47.49

-58.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 NT$710

$11.70 ฿394

87.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$93.6

$3.11 ฿105

-6.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.57

$1.04 ฿35.08

-24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$334

$14.11 ฿475

-26.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.69

$1.31 ฿44.13

-22.90%

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

$38.6K NT$1.2M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

38.78%

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

$26.4K NT$854.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.37%

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

$84.6 NT$2,734

$122 ฿4,120

-30.90%

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

$18.51 NT$598

$13.59 ฿457

36.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.10 NT$746

$18.70 ฿629

23.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 NT$1,296

$60.5 ฿2,035

-33.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 NT$487

$16.98 ฿572

-11.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 NT$379

$9.07 ฿305

29.33%

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

$273 NT$8,820

$706 ฿23.8K

-61.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,899 NT$222.9K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-56.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NT$1,860

$58.6 ฿1,970

-1.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.71 NT$992

$35.36 ฿1,190

-13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 NT$2,993

$115 ฿3,885

-19.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,922

$83.7 ฿2,818

44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 NT$10.7K

$626 ฿21.1K

-47.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,264

$445 ฿15.0K

-56.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 NT$22.5K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-65.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.6K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-51.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 NT$98.6K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-12.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,037 NT$98.1K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

17.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 NT$43.7K

$500 ฿16.8K

170.53%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in Tainan and $626 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: $27.00 in Tainan vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $289, 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 16% 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: $331 in Tainan versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Tainan versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,250 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.