Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,486 in Albany, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,486

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albany and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,486 in Albany versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Albany $2,486
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,609 in Albany versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Albany $3,609
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,732 in Albany versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Albany $4,732
Phuket $2,867

Living in Albany is roughly 106% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Albany is 84% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.51 A$28.07

$4.58 ฿153

325.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$122

$32.48 ฿1,086

161.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 A$14.54

$8.55 ฿286

18.25%

Cappuccino

$4.33 A$6.22

$2.72 ฿91.0

59.19%

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

$2.49 A$3.58

$0.94 ฿31.25

164.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 A$2.92

$0.49 ฿16.39

314.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 A$12.24

$2.59 ฿86.6

228.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 A$10.87

$3.83 ฿128

97.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.74 ฿58.1

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 A$3.88

$1.43 ฿47.82

88.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$1.53 ฿51.0

39.87%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.47

$2.17 ฿72.7

139.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 A$15.05

$19.15 ฿640

-45.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.41

$3.30 ฿110

182.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 A$18.18

$11.14 ฿372

13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.95 ฿98.5

37.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.51

$1.68 ฿56.1

86.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 A$5.39

$2.30 ฿76.8

63.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.52

$2.13 ฿71.3

112.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.90

$1.53 ฿51.1

77.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.38

$1.36 ฿45.55

72.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.05

$1.12 ฿37.44

89.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.99

$0.55 ฿18.24

150.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.14 A$60.6

$4.26 ฿142

889.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 A$21.13

$18.19 ฿608

-19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.40

$1.74 ฿58.2

155.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 A$8.53

$2.79 ฿93.3

112.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.25

$2.22 ฿74.1

32.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 A$115

$22.06 ฿737

261.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 A$4.29

$2.91 ฿97.3

2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.01 ฿33.79

54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.56 A$51.2

$3.83 ฿128

828.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.49 ฿49.85

-20.13%

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

$25.6K A$36.9K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-4.00%

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

$33.5K A$48.1K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

25.24%

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

$202 A$290

$99.4 ฿3,321

102.80%

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

$27.79 A$39.99

$11.28 ฿377

146.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.77 A$70.2

$17.36 ฿580

180.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 A$76.9

$52.3 ฿1,747

2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 A$25.03

$10.85 ฿362

60.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 A$21.43

$7.57 ฿253

96.83%

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

$2,234 A$3,215

$558 ฿18.7K

300.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

77.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 A$112

$62.9 ฿2,102

23.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$72.5

$28.58 ฿955

76.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$167

$96.1 ฿3,213

20.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$88.1 ฿2,943

26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 A$1,718

$729 ฿24.4K

63.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 A$1,701

$460 ฿15.4K

157.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 A$3,139

$2,096 ฿70.0K

4.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 A$2,574

$1,222 ฿40.8K

46.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,564 A$8,006

$3,459 ฿115.6K

60.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,761 A$6,851

$2,489 ฿83.2K

91.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,598 A$3,738

$493 ฿16.5K

426.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.57

4.85%

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

Last update for Albany: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Albany

$1.2K 47.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 61.1% $722

Groceries & Markets

Albany

$366 14.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 26.9% $98

Eating Out

Albany

$314 12.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 61.4% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany

$278 11.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 54% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Albany

$160 6.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 22.6% $36

Getting Around

Albany

$102 4.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 62% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Albany

$83 3.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 19% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Albany and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 427% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Albany vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albany

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

12:34 12:34 PM

1 h behind Albany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,128

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Albany Phuket 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Albany
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Albany vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 427% higher in Albany, 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: $1,194 in Albany versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,486 per month in Albany versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 262% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,486 in Albany, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Albany. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Albany 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.