Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,058 in Zhongli City versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in Zhongli City versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,502 in Zhongli City versus $3,279 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhongli City 21% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 NT$163

$4.63 ฿151

11.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.19 NT$637

$46.84 ฿1,523

-56.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$145

$8.84 ฿287

-47.96%

Cappuccino

$2.49 NT$78.6

$3.00 ฿97.4

-17.00%

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

$0.73 NT$22.91

$0.74 ฿24.11

-1.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 NT$18.04

$0.37 ฿11.88

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 NT$44.28

$2.44 ฿79.3

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 NT$47.41

$3.61 ฿117

-58.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.31 NT$105

$2.26 ฿73.5

46.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 NT$55.2

$1.84 ฿59.8

-4.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$2.24 ฿73.0

21.87%

Eggs

$2.58 NT$81.6

$2.32 ฿75.3

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.96 NT$977

$19.67 ฿639

57.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 NT$251

$3.65 ฿119

118.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 NT$496

$13.10 ฿426

19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 NT$142

$3.39 ฿110

33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 NT$55.0

$1.64 ฿53.4

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.1

$2.41 ฿78.5

-5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 NT$93.1

$2.03 ฿66.0

45.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.19

$1.56 ฿50.6

-18.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$59.4

$1.50 ฿48.66

25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 NT$72.9

$1.02 ฿33.30

126.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NT$39.15

$0.49 ฿15.91

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 NT$132

$4.45 ฿145

-6.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 NT$495

$18.88 ฿614

-16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.78 ฿57.7

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 NT$73.4

$2.75 ฿89.5

-15.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.64

$1.40 ฿45.54

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 NT$1,281

$11.48 ฿373

253.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NT$88.5

$3.12 ฿101

-10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.11

$1.00 ฿32.48

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NT$316

$14.09 ฿458

-28.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$31.11

$1.35 ฿43.93

-26.67%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

23.49%

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

$26.0K NT$820.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.07%

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

$95.9 NT$3,027

$125 ฿4,063

-23.29%

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

$13.45 NT$425

$13.57 ฿441

-0.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.15 NT$321

$18.52 ฿602

-45.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.36 NT$1,180

$61.5 ฿1,999

-39.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 NT$475

$16.84 ฿547

-10.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 NT$288

$9.19 ฿299

-0.54%

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

$361 NT$11.4K

$698 ฿22.7K

-48.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K NT$663.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

34.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 NT$1,894

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.29 NT$641

$35.24 ฿1,146

-42.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 NT$2,456

$113 ฿3,677

-31.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.1 NT$2,151

$86.4 ฿2,808

-21.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 NT$13.7K

$616 ฿20.0K

-29.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 NT$8,086

$446 ฿14.5K

-42.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NT$32.8K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 NT$23.5K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-50.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 NT$73.8K

$524 ฿17.0K

346.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.33

-60.60%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Zhongli City and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 346% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Zhongli City vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $292, 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

Zhongli City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Zhongli City pays 346% 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: $435 in Zhongli City versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $361 in Zhongli City versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,058 in Zhongli City versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhongli City 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, Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City 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.