Cost of Living Comparison Between Yilan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yilan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Yilan versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Yilan versus $3,248 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Yilan 18% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 NT$116

$4.48 ฿150

-19.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.02 NT$970

$45.59 ฿1,522

-34.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 NT$179

$8.76 ฿292

-36.53%

Cappuccino

$3.04 NT$98.1

$2.97 ฿99.1

2.36%

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

$1.11 NT$35.95

$0.69 ฿22.92

60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.32

$0.39 ฿13.05

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 NT$48.51

$2.53 ฿84.5

-40.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NT$94.2

$3.75 ฿125

-22.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$2.15 ฿71.6

65.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 NT$54.4

$1.82 ฿60.6

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 NT$64.7

$2.18 ฿73.0

-8.26%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.7

$2.25 ฿75.1

19.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.27 NT$1,010

$20.00 ฿668

56.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 NT$265

$3.63 ฿121

125.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 NT$508

$13.56 ฿453

16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 NT$147

$3.24 ฿108

40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 NT$26.99

$1.64 ฿54.6

-48.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 NT$71.5

$2.33 ฿77.9

-5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 NT$53.7

$2.07 ฿69.2

-19.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 NT$41.41

$1.55 ฿51.7

-17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 NT$43.50

$1.46 ฿48.58

-7.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 NT$70.6

$0.98 ฿32.88

123.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NT$41.48

$0.48 ฿16.11

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$132

$4.35 ฿145

-5.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NT$509

$18.57 ฿620

-15.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 NT$47.62

$1.86 ฿62.0

-20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 NT$83.4

$2.65 ฿88.7

-2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 NT$33.33

$1.42 ฿47.32

-27.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.60 NT$1,117

$11.57 ฿386

199.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NT$90.5

$3.17 ฿106

-11.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NT$37.99

$1.03 ฿34.45

14.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NT$332

$13.89 ฿464

-25.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.56

$1.34 ฿44.88

-24.63%

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

$27.6K NT$892.7K

$27.8K ฿927.9K

-0.54%

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

$23.5K NT$760.1K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-29.49%

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

$59.6 NT$1,923

$123 ฿4,109

-51.60%

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

$16.60 NT$536

$13.77 ฿460

20.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.49 NT$694

$18.33 ฿612

17.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 NT$1,023

$60.7 ฿2,026

-47.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 NT$539

$17.16 ฿573

-2.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$311

$8.87 ฿296

8.57%

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

$358 NT$11.6K

$688 ฿23.0K

-47.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K NT$669.1K

$15.8K ฿526.9K

31.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 NT$2,269

$59.3 ฿1,980

18.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.09 NT$1,101

$34.69 ฿1,158

-1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 NT$2,563

$115 ฿3,846

-31.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 NT$2,893

$83.8 ฿2,797

6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 NT$9,574

$621 ฿20.7K

-52.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 NT$9,385

$446 ฿14.9K

-34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 NT$22.0K

$2,034 ฿67.9K

-66.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 NT$16.1K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-66.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,232 NT$233.5K

$3,455 ฿115.4K

109.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,994 NT$161.3K

$2,531 ฿84.5K

97.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,013 NT$32.7K

$494 ฿16.5K

105.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

5.33

-59.10%

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

Last update for Yilan: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $296 in Yilan and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yilan pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Yilan vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 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

Yilan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yilan is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Yilan, 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: $296 in Yilan versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $358 in Yilan 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 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yilan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yilan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yilan 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, Yilan 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 Yilan 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.