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: $1,001 in Yilan versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,746 in Yilan versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,491 in Yilan versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Yilan costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yilan 27% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 NT$113

$4.41 ฿147

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.37 NT$965

$32.26 ฿1,073

-5.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$154

$8.93 ฿297

-45.69%

Cappuccino

$2.77 NT$87.9

$2.90 ฿96.3

-4.48%

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

$1.05 NT$33.27

$0.88 ฿29.29

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.65

$0.48 ฿16.01

47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 NT$47.42

$2.35 ฿78.2

-36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NT$93.5

$3.72 ฿124

-20.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$102

$1.87 ฿62.1

71.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 NT$54.8

$1.47 ฿48.78

17.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.4

$1.55 ฿51.6

71.61%

Eggs

$2.55 NT$81.0

$2.10 ฿69.9

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.36 NT$933

$19.59 ฿652

49.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 NT$252

$3.42 ฿114

131.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 NT$535

$11.38 ฿379

48.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 NT$140

$2.98 ฿99.3

47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 NT$61.3

$1.68 ฿56.1

14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NT$58.4

$2.21 ฿73.5

-16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 NT$72.0

$2.16 ฿71.9

5.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 NT$38.55

$1.52 ฿50.7

-20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$60.8

$1.34 ฿44.52

42.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 NT$75.3

$1.13 ฿37.55

109.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 NT$29.14

$0.55 ฿18.18

67.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 NT$118

$4.26 ฿142

-12.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 NT$504

$19.09 ฿635

-16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NT$44.87

$1.78 ฿59.2

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 NT$80.4

$2.78 ฿92.6

-8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 NT$24.03

$2.23 ฿74.2

-65.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.58 NT$1,162

$22.74 ฿756

60.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NT$87.1

$3.03 ฿101

-9.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 NT$29.61

$1.02 ฿34.04

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 NT$294

$3.89 ฿129

137.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$31.56

$1.49 ฿49.60

-33.56%

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

$25.0K NT$794.0K

$26.6K ฿884.4K

-6.00%

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

$19.9K NT$632.4K

$27.0K ฿899.3K

-26.38%

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

$47.93 NT$1,523

$102 ฿3,409

-53.23%

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

$14.86 NT$472

$11.33 ฿377

31.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.17 NT$673

$17.40 ฿579

21.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 NT$1,016

$52.1 ฿1,733

-38.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$8.29 NT$263

$7.69 ฿256

7.80%

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

$347 NT$11.0K

$561 ฿18.7K

-38.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K NT$538.9K

$11.5K ฿382.8K

47.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 NT$1,736

$63.0 ฿2,097

-13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 NT$1,013

$29.52 ฿982

8.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,665

$98.0 ฿3,261

-14.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 NT$1,992

$88.5 ฿2,944

-29.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 NT$8,844

$738 ฿24.6K

-62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 NT$8,075

$482 ฿16.0K

-47.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 NT$31.5K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-52.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 NT$23.6K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-39.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,457 NT$237.0K

$3,617 ฿120.3K

106.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,040 NT$160.2K

$2,603 ฿86.6K

93.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,026 NT$32.6K

$494 ฿16.4K

107.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

5.57

-59.25%

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

Last update for Yilan: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Yilan and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yilan pays 108% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $274, 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 108% 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: $278 in Yilan versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Yilan 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 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,001 in Yilan versus $1,232 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.