Cost of Living Comparison Between Taitung and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Taitung and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,115 in Taitung versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,839 in Taitung versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,562 in Taitung versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Taitung costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taitung 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.01 NT$127

$4.56 ฿149

-12.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.84 NT$1,291

$46.63 ฿1,519

-12.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 NT$181

$8.47 ฿276

-32.59%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NT$120

$3.03 ฿98.6

25.41%

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

$1.13 NT$35.85

$0.69 ฿22.45

63.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$25.02

$0.37 ฿11.92

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 NT$105

$2.49 ฿81.0

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$109

$3.66 ฿119

-5.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$98.5

$2.18 ฿71.0

42.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.3

$1.90 ฿62.0

3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 NT$96.3

$2.20 ฿71.6

38.64%

Eggs

$2.40 NT$75.7

$2.22 ฿72.4

8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 NT$630

$19.99 ฿651

-0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 NT$128

$3.66 ฿119

10.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.97 NT$631

$13.25 ฿432

50.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 NT$63.8

$3.23 ฿105

-37.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 NT$91.0

$1.70 ฿55.3

69.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 NT$65.6

$2.39 ฿78.0

-12.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$2.08 ฿67.7

108.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.4

$1.59 ฿51.8

76.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.5

$1.48 ฿48.31

52.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$62.0

$1.03 ฿33.54

90.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$41.79

$0.52 ฿16.83

153.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$125

$4.25 ฿138

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 NT$445

$18.79 ฿612

-25.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NT$56.7

$1.76 ฿57.2

1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.4

$2.76 ฿89.8

-12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.31

$1.36 ฿44.32

-36.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.36 NT$1,244

$11.36 ฿370

246.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.14 ฿102

-6.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.00

$1.04 ฿33.74

-29.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$327

$13.77 ฿448

-24.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.97

$1.34 ฿43.79

-22.39%

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

$37.5K NT$1.2M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

35.57%

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

$28.0K NT$884.0K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-17.42%

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

$86.3 NT$2,728

$124 ฿4,025

-30.18%

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

$18.88 NT$597

$13.52 ฿440

39.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.12 NT$794

$18.69 ฿609

34.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,171

$61.8 ฿2,013

-40.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.91 NT$471

$17.25 ฿562

-13.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$317

$9.14 ฿298

9.63%

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

$634 NT$20.1K

$703 ฿22.9K

-9.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K NT$598.3K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.52 NT$965

$59.5 ฿1,937

-48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.57 NT$524

$35.07 ฿1,142

-52.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.0 NT$1,674

$115 ฿3,754

-54.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,930

$84.1 ฿2,737

47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NT$13.9K

$619 ฿20.1K

-29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$8,979

$433 ฿14.1K

-34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 NT$32.5K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-50.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 NT$22.8K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-52.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,522 NT$206.2K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

78.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,961 NT$188.4K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

127.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 NT$20.2K

$507 ฿16.5K

26.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

5.33

-58.91%

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

Last update for Taitung: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Taitung and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taitung pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Taitung vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 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

Taitung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taitung is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Taitung pays 26% 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: $439 in Taitung versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Taitung versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,115 in Taitung versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taitung 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, Taitung 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 Taitung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.