Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,067 in Taipa versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,202 in Taipa versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,337 in Taipa versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Taipa is roughly 65% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipa is 50% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 MOP 49.43

$4.56 ฿150

34.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 MOP 455

$32.62 ฿1,073

72.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 MOP 49.39

$8.90 ฿293

-31.24%

Cappuccino

$5.13 MOP 41.42

$2.80 ฿92.2

83.21%

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

$0.77 MOP 6.25

$0.88 ฿28.94

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MOP 3.08

$0.49 ฿16.08

-22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.47

$2.39 ฿78.5

135.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 MOP 59.2

$3.71 ฿122

97.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 MOP 25.72

$1.79 ฿58.8

77.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 MOP 13.75

$1.44 ฿47.40

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.93

$1.58 ฿52.1

9.49%

Eggs

$3.46 MOP 27.90

$2.13 ฿69.9

62.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.36 MOP 132

$19.92 ฿655

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.23 MOP 155

$3.43 ฿113

460.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.35 MOP 237

$11.33 ฿372

159.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MOP 21.42

$2.95 ฿97.0

-10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 MOP 23.57

$1.72 ฿56.6

69.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MOP 15.07

$2.32 ฿76.5

-19.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MOP 19.91

$2.08 ฿68.4

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 MOP 31.20

$1.47 ฿48.34

162.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 MOP 23.64

$1.36 ฿44.65

115.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 MOP 5.26

$1.10 ฿36.13

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MOP 9.33

$0.57 ฿18.89

103.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 MOP 54.9

$4.27 ฿140

59.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 MOP 102

$18.42 ฿606

-31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MOP 14.36

$1.87 ฿61.5

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 MOP 18.25

$2.92 ฿96.1

-22.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MOP 21.09

$3.03 ฿99.6

-13.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 MOP 10.48

$1.07 ฿35.32

21.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 MOP 119

$3.93 ฿129

275.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 MOP 14.93

$1.49 ฿49.06

24.16%

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

$31.4K MOP 253.3K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

15.61%

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

$31.6K MOP 254.8K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

14.93%

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

$122 MOP 988

$103 ฿3,380

19.03%

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

$23.44 MOP 189

$10.99 ฿361

113.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.39 MOP 294

$17.51 ฿576

107.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.7 MOP 611

$53.5 ฿1,760

41.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.81 MOP 30.77

$11.20 ฿368

-65.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 MOP 99.9

$7.48 ฿246

65.37%

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

$1,190 MOP 9,613

$557 ฿18.3K

113.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K MOP 153.4K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

60.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 MOP 573

$64.1 ฿2,107

10.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.79 MOP 273

$29.07 ฿956

16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 MOP 736

$96.0 ฿3,155

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 MOP 1,094

$90.3 ฿2,970

50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 MOP 8,563

$730 ฿24.0K

45.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 MOP 7,852

$500 ฿16.4K

94.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 MOP 17.3K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 MOP 15.8K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

61.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K MOP 130.9K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

350.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.1K MOP 106.1K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

422.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Taipa: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Taipa and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Taipa vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $273 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Taipa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,101 in Taipa and $1,880 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Taipa versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,190 in Taipa versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $56.0 in Taipa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Taipa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Taipa. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Taipa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Taipa 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Taipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.