Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,715 in Taoyuan versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,328 in Taoyuan versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Taoyuan costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taoyuan 17% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 NT$166

$4.48 ฿150

14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.22 NT$816

$45.59 ฿1,525

-44.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 NT$198

$8.76 ฿293

-30.14%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$89.9

$2.97 ฿99.3

-6.40%

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

$1.24 NT$39.97

$0.69 ฿22.96

79.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$25.09

$0.39 ฿13.07

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 NT$52.6

$2.53 ฿84.7

-35.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.6

$3.75 ฿125

-36.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 NT$106

$2.15 ฿71.8

53.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 NT$45.25

$1.82 ฿60.7

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 NT$77.3

$2.18 ฿73.1

9.63%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$74.2

$2.25 ฿75.2

1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$299

$20.00 ฿669

-53.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 NT$261

$3.63 ฿121

122.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 NT$512

$13.56 ฿453

16.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 NT$107

$3.24 ฿109

1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.6

$1.64 ฿54.7

15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.3

$2.33 ฿78.0

17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$96.8

$2.07 ฿69.3

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.1

$1.55 ฿51.8

51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$60.8

$1.46 ฿48.67

28.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 NT$82.6

$0.98 ฿32.94

160.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.43

$0.48 ฿16.13

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 NT$206

$4.35 ฿146

46.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 NT$345

$18.57 ฿621

-42.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NT$58.7

$1.86 ฿62.1

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$76.5

$2.65 ฿88.8

-10.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 NT$21.45

$1.42 ฿47.40

-53.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 NT$1,292

$11.57 ฿387

245.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 NT$97.9

$3.17 ฿106

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$23.43

$1.03 ฿34.51

-30.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 NT$266

$13.89 ฿465

-40.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.27

$1.34 ฿44.96

-20.90%

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

$36.1K NT$1.2M

$27.8K ฿929.6K

30.07%

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

$26.9K NT$870.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-19.40%

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

$66.4 NT$2,146

$123 ฿4,116

-46.08%

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

$29.10 NT$941

$13.77 ฿461

111.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 NT$614

$18.33 ฿613

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 NT$1,198

$60.7 ฿2,030

-38.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 NT$325

$17.16 ฿574

-41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NT$328

$8.87 ฿297

14.43%

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

$582 NT$18.8K

$688 ฿23.0K

-15.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K NT$499.7K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-2.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 NT$2,630

$59.3 ฿1,984

37.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.97 NT$776

$34.69 ฿1,160

-30.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 NT$2,725

$115 ฿3,853

-26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,331

$83.8 ฿2,802

22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.5K

$621 ฿20.8K

-32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 NT$11.4K

$446 ฿14.9K

-21.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 NT$26.9K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 NT$19.4K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-60.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,335 NT$237.3K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

112.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,640 NT$150.1K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

83.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 NT$48.7K

$494 ฿16.5K

204.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

5.33

-70.54%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Taoyuan and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 205% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Taoyuan vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $291, 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

Taoyuan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taoyuan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 205% higher in Taoyuan, 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: $418 in Taoyuan versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $582 in Taoyuan versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taoyuan 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, Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.