Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,667 per month in Bathurst vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,748 per month in Bathurst vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Bathurst vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Bathurst costs about 111% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bathurst sits 93% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 A$22.52

$4.66 ฿154

246.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$120

$32.22 ฿1,065

166.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 A$15.36

$8.68 ฿287

26.96%

Cappuccino

$3.87 A$5.40

$2.90 ฿95.8

33.45%

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

$3.03 A$4.23

$0.84 ฿27.89

260.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.35

$0.49 ฿16.16

389.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 A$7.01

$2.48 ฿82.0

102.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 A$11.00

$3.73 ฿123

111.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 A$2.82

$1.89 ฿62.3

6.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$3.89

$1.41 ฿46.54

97.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.37

$1.62 ฿53.6

49.38%

Eggs

$4.84 A$6.74

$2.24 ฿74.1

116.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 A$13.51

$19.84 ฿656

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.46

$3.48 ฿115

177.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 A$18.86

$11.37 ฿376

19.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.12

$2.90 ฿95.8

26.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.77

$1.72 ฿57.0

57.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 A$4.92

$2.27 ฿75.1

55.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$5.97

$2.13 ฿70.4

100.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.06

$1.47 ฿48.72

97.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.44

$1.42 ฿46.92

73.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 A$3.76

$1.10 ฿36.25

144.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 A$1.98

$0.60 ฿19.76

136.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.96 A$57.1

$4.31 ฿142

850.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 A$21.01

$18.60 ฿615

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.25

$1.80 ฿59.5

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$2.97 ฿98.0

79.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 A$4.31

$2.25 ฿74.2

37.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.8 A$117

$23.49 ฿776

256.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 A$5.61

$3.10 ฿102

29.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.22

$1.08 ฿35.56

47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.32 A$56.2

$3.87 ฿128

941.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.78

$1.43 ฿47.16

-11.19%

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

$24.7K A$34.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-11.26%

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

$30.6K A$42.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

13.32%

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

$217 A$302

$105 ฿3,462

106.91%

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

$43.11 A$60.1

$11.39 ฿376

278.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 A$88.9

$17.54 ฿580

263.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 A$73.2

$54.3 ฿1,795

-3.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.52 A$24.42

$11.44 ฿378

53.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.33

$7.78 ฿257

105.91%

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

$2,122 A$2,958

$576 ฿19.0K

268.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$27.9K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

72.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 A$96.6

$63.6 ฿2,103

8.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 A$85.3

$29.10 ฿961

110.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$159

$96.2 ฿3,179

18.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$189

$90.0 ฿2,974

50.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 A$2,060

$733 ฿24.2K

101.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 A$1,835

$501 ฿16.5K

162.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 A$3,198

$2,126 ฿70.2K

7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,686

$1,252 ฿41.4K

53.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,090 A$8,491

$3,534 ฿116.8K

72.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,804 A$6,697

$2,622 ฿86.6K

83.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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 Bathurst: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,478 in Bathurst versus $733 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Bathurst versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Bathurst vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 111%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,001 per month in Bathurst and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 257% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,122 per month in Bathurst and $576 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Bathurst at $2,667. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bathurst makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.