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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Zhubei City versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,940 in Zhubei City versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Zhubei City costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhubei City 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 NT$156

$4.70 ฿154

5.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,079

$45.37 ฿1,483

-24.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$179

$8.43 ฿276

-32.74%

Cappuccino

$3.70 NT$117

$2.93 ฿95.7

26.28%

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

$0.98 NT$30.98

$0.69 ฿22.42

42.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$19.84

$0.37 ฿12.00

70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 NT$71.3

$2.41 ฿78.7

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 NT$84.9

$3.72 ฿122

-27.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$102

$2.23 ฿73.0

45.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NT$62.8

$1.83 ฿59.9

8.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 NT$137

$2.17 ฿70.9

100.00%

Eggs

$3.02 NT$95.0

$2.21 ฿72.4

36.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 NT$433

$19.74 ฿645

-30.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 NT$275

$3.63 ฿119

140.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NT$876

$13.53 ฿442

105.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$138

$3.28 ฿107

33.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$1.61 ฿52.7

60.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$87.5

$2.41 ฿78.7

15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 NT$124

$2.08 ฿68.1

89.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 NT$127

$1.53 ฿49.97

162.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NT$79.9

$1.48 ฿48.41

70.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 NT$83.4

$0.99 ฿32.32

167.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.65

$0.51 ฿16.68

172.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 NT$131

$4.41 ฿144

-5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 NT$288

$19.38 ฿634

-52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$49.58

$1.78 ฿58.1

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$85.0

$2.71 ฿88.7

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.40

$1.37 ฿44.83

-52.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.26 NT$1,205

$11.39 ฿372

235.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 NT$107

$3.02 ฿98.7

12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 NT$19.78

$0.99 ฿32.51

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NT$321

$14.10 ฿461

-27.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.42

$1.36 ฿44.55

-24.26%

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

$41.8K NT$1.3M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

48.36%

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

$27.2K NT$856.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.38%

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

$93.0 NT$2,930

$122 ฿3,978

-23.58%

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

$33.79 NT$1,064

$13.57 ฿444

149.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 NT$775

$18.31 ฿599

34.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 NT$1,079

$60.2 ฿1,969

-43.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 NT$481

$17.14 ฿560

-10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 NT$370

$8.69 ฿284

35.33%

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

$690 NT$21.7K

$693 ฿22.7K

-0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K NT$479.7K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-2.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 NT$2,690

$59.5 ฿1,946

43.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 NT$1,507

$34.77 ฿1,137

37.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 NT$3,147

$115 ฿3,746

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 NT$3,617

$83.3 ฿2,723

37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 NT$13.4K

$613 ฿20.0K

-30.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 NT$6,690

$437 ฿14.3K

-51.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 NT$37.2K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-43.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$863 NT$27.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-42.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.8K NT$528.0K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

347.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,937 NT$313.1K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

279.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,432 NT$76.6K

$508 ฿16.6K

378.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.33

-54.97%

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

Last update for Zhubei City: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Zhubei City and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 379% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Zhubei City vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $394 vs $293, 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

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

Zhubei City is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Zhubei City pays 379% 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: $427 in Zhubei City versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $690 in Zhubei City versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zhubei 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, Zhubei 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 Zhubei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.