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: $1,053 in Taitung versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,800 in Taitung versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Taitung versus $2,876 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Taitung 23% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 NT$122

$4.41 ฿147

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 NT$1,534

$32.26 ฿1,074

49.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 NT$193

$8.93 ฿297

-31.80%

Cappuccino

$3.59 NT$114

$2.90 ฿96.4

23.79%

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

$0.98 NT$31.05

$0.88 ฿29.30

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.95

$0.48 ฿16.01

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 NT$88.6

$2.35 ฿78.3

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NT$120

$3.72 ฿124

1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$98.9

$1.87 ฿62.1

66.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NT$61.9

$1.47 ฿48.81

32.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 NT$96.9

$1.55 ฿51.7

96.77%

Eggs

$2.25 NT$71.6

$2.10 ฿70.0

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 NT$620

$19.59 ฿652

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 NT$124

$3.42 ฿114

14.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 NT$698

$11.38 ฿379

93.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 NT$60.0

$2.98 ฿99.3

-36.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NT$92.0

$1.68 ฿56.1

72.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 NT$62.2

$2.21 ฿73.5

-11.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NT$146

$2.16 ฿72.0

113.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.8

$1.52 ฿50.8

88.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$72.1

$1.34 ฿44.55

69.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 NT$55.7

$1.13 ฿37.57

54.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 NT$35.74

$0.55 ฿18.19

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 NT$123

$4.26 ฿142

-8.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 NT$462

$19.09 ฿635

-23.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.7

$1.78 ฿59.2

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NT$72.4

$2.78 ฿92.6

-17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.43

$2.23 ฿74.2

-72.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.80 NT$1,169

$22.74 ฿757

61.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.8

$3.03 ฿101

-9.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.19

$1.02 ฿34.06

-19.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 NT$294

$3.89 ฿130

137.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 NT$29.12

$1.49 ฿49.63

-38.26%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

27.93%

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

$24.4K NT$774.4K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-9.80%

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

$85.0 NT$2,699

$102 ฿3,411

-17.09%

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

$17.93 NT$570

$11.33 ฿377

58.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 NT$881

$17.40 ฿579

59.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,176

$52.1 ฿1,734

-28.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$305

$7.69 ฿256

24.84%

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

$625 NT$19.8K

$561 ฿18.7K

11.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K NT$531.7K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

45.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.95 NT$919

$63.0 ฿2,098

-54.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.63 NT$496

$29.52 ฿983

-47.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 NT$1,600

$98.0 ฿3,263

-48.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,417

$88.5 ฿2,946

21.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 NT$13.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

-43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$7,966

$482 ฿16.1K

-48.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 NT$31.5K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-52.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 NT$23.5K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-39.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,353 NT$233.5K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

103.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,069 NT$161.0K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

94.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 NT$20.1K

$494 ฿16.4K

28.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.57

-56.91%

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

Last update for Taitung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Taitung and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taitung pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Taitung vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $274 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

Taitung vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taitung is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Taitung, 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: $414 in Taitung versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $625 in Taitung versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,053 in Taitung versus $1,232 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.