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: $1,074 in Zhubei City versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Zhubei City versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,643 in Zhubei City versus $2,833 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhubei City 22% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 NT$149

$4.56 ฿151

3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.93 NT$918

$32.62 ฿1,082

-11.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.24 NT$166

$8.90 ฿295

-41.12%

Cappuccino

$3.05 NT$96.8

$2.80 ฿93.0

8.93%

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

$0.95 NT$30.16

$0.88 ฿29.19

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 NT$19.28

$0.49 ฿16.23

24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$59.6

$2.39 ฿79.2

-21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 NT$79.3

$3.71 ฿123

-32.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.87 NT$90.9

$1.79 ฿59.3

60.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 NT$58.2

$1.44 ฿47.81

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 NT$141

$1.58 ฿52.6

181.01%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$87.6

$2.13 ฿70.5

29.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.11 NT$797

$19.92 ฿661

26.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 NT$275

$3.43 ฿114

152.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.23 NT$832

$11.33 ฿376

131.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 NT$132

$2.95 ฿97.8

41.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 NT$78.0

$1.72 ฿57.1

43.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.0

$2.32 ฿77.1

16.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 NT$104

$2.08 ฿69.0

57.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.2

$1.47 ฿48.77

106.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NT$65.4

$1.36 ฿45.05

51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NT$65.8

$1.10 ฿36.45

88.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 NT$42.53

$0.57 ฿19.06

135.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 NT$122

$4.27 ฿142

-9.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 NT$291

$18.42 ฿611

-50.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NT$45.08

$1.87 ฿62.1

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NT$63.7

$2.92 ฿96.9

-31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.36

$2.22 ฿73.6

-72.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 NT$103

$3.03 ฿101

6.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 NT$19.25

$1.07 ฿35.63

-42.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.21 NT$292

$3.93 ฿130

134.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.65

$1.49 ฿49.49

-30.87%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

25.83%

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

$25.4K NT$807.4K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-7.29%

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

$101 NT$3,197

$103 ฿3,410

-1.98%

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

$19.66 NT$624

$10.99 ฿365

78.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.98 NT$729

$17.51 ฿581

31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.44 NT$998

$53.5 ฿1,776

-41.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 NT$323

$7.48 ฿248

35.96%

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

$665 NT$21.1K

$557 ฿18.5K

19.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$531.6K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

41.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 NT$1,842

$64.1 ฿2,125

-9.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.09 NT$986

$29.07 ฿964

6.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NT$2,919

$96.0 ฿3,183

-4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 NT$3,132

$90.3 ฿2,997

9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 NT$15.9K

$730 ฿24.2K

-31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 NT$6,716

$500 ฿16.6K

-57.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 NT$35.2K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-46.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 NT$25.2K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-34.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.6K NT$526.1K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

361.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,756 NT$309.5K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

288.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,420 NT$76.8K

$503 ฿16.7K

380.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.57

-56.91%

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

Last update for Zhubei City: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Zhubei City and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 381% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Zhubei City vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $273, 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 Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 381% higher in Zhubei 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: $500 in Zhubei City versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in Zhubei City versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zhubei City – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Zhubei City versus $1,253 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.