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: $977 in Zhongli City versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,660 in Zhongli City versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,344 in Zhongli City versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Zhongli City costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhongli City 29% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 NT$149

$4.41 ฿147

6.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 NT$1,024

$32.26 ฿1,077

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 NT$148

$8.93 ฿298

-47.93%

Cappuccino

$2.58 NT$82.2

$2.90 ฿96.6

-11.03%

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

$0.98 NT$31.20

$0.88 ฿29.38

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NT$21.67

$0.48 ฿16.06

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 NT$51.5

$2.35 ฿78.5

-31.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NT$91.7

$3.72 ฿124

-22.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.17 NT$101

$1.87 ฿62.3

69.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 NT$54.9

$1.47 ฿48.94

17.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 NT$84.0

$1.55 ฿51.8

70.32%

Eggs

$2.61 NT$83.0

$2.10 ฿70.1

24.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 NT$398

$19.59 ฿654

-36.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 NT$227

$3.42 ฿114

108.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 NT$499

$11.38 ฿380

37.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 NT$118

$2.98 ฿99.6

24.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NT$60.3

$1.68 ฿56.2

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 NT$58.3

$2.21 ฿73.7

-17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 NT$68.6

$2.16 ฿72.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NT$39.20

$1.52 ฿50.9

-19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.1

$1.34 ฿44.67

43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$73.9

$1.13 ฿37.67

105.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.23

$0.55 ฿18.24

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$126

$4.26 ฿142

-7.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 NT$505

$19.09 ฿637

-16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$52.0

$1.78 ฿59.4

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 NT$79.7

$2.78 ฿92.9

-10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.55

$2.23 ฿74.4

-72.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.06 NT$1,212

$22.74 ฿759

67.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 NT$82.9

$3.03 ฿101

-13.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 NT$18.16

$1.02 ฿34.15

-44.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.21 NT$293

$3.89 ฿130

136.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.55

$1.49 ฿49.77

-31.54%

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

$33.5K NT$1.1M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

26.17%

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

$23.0K NT$733.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-14.81%

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

$106 NT$3,387

$102 ฿3,420

3.85%

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

$14.93 NT$475

$11.33 ฿378

31.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 NT$553

$17.40 ฿581

-0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 NT$316

$7.69 ฿257

29.26%

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

$344 NT$11.0K

$561 ฿18.7K

-38.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$534.9K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

46.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 NT$2,148

$63.0 ฿2,104

7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.61 NT$1,134

$29.52 ฿986

20.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.8 NT$1,777

$98.0 ฿3,272

-43.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NT$3,474

$88.5 ฿2,954

23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 NT$14.6K

$738 ฿24.6K

-37.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,048

$482 ฿16.1K

-47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 NT$28.0K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-58.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.9K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-41.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,344 NT$74.6K

$494 ฿16.5K

374.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

5.57

-62.30%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $460 in Zhongli City and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 375% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Zhongli City vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 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

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

Zhongli City is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 375% higher in Zhongli City, 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: $460 in Zhongli City versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $344 in Zhongli City 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 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $977 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.