Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,254 per month in Cairns vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,387 per month in Cairns vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,519 per month in Cairns vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Cairns costs about 78% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cairns sits 69% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 A$16.68

$4.48 ฿150

162.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 A$115

$45.59 ฿1,521

77.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 A$15.02

$8.76 ฿292

20.78%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.62

$2.97 ฿99.0

33.33%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$0.69 ฿22.90

317.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.28

$0.39 ฿13.04

492.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.25

$2.53 ฿84.4

157.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 A$10.23

$3.75 ฿125

92.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 A$2.44

$2.15 ฿71.6

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.56

$1.82 ฿60.6

37.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.95

$2.18 ฿72.9

27.52%

Eggs

$3.99 A$5.67

$2.25 ฿75.0

77.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 A$11.23

$20.00 ฿667

-60.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$12.93

$3.63 ฿121

150.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 A$17.75

$13.56 ฿452

-7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.40

$3.24 ฿108

-4.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.16

$1.64 ฿54.6

35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.87

$2.33 ฿77.8

17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 A$9.96

$2.07 ฿69.1

239.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.55 ฿51.6

43.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.26

$1.46 ฿48.54

57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.34

$0.98 ฿32.86

139.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 A$4.05

$0.48 ฿16.09

493.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.54 A$41.92

$4.35 ฿145

579.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 A$18.59

$18.57 ฿620

-29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 A$4.81

$1.86 ฿61.9

82.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 A$5.23

$2.65 ฿88.6

39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.35 A$4.75

$1.42 ฿47.28

135.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 A$92.0

$11.57 ฿386

460.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 A$9.01

$3.17 ฿106

100.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 A$4.46

$1.03 ฿34.41

204.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.08 A$48.35

$13.89 ฿463

145.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.57

$1.34 ฿44.84

-17.16%

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

$22.7K A$32.2K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-18.46%

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

$19.7K A$28.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-40.86%

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

$153 A$217

$123 ฿4,105

24.01%

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

$36.27 A$51.5

$13.77 ฿459

163.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 A$82.9

$18.33 ฿611

218.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.77 A$53.6

$60.7 ฿2,025

-37.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.62 A$22.17

$17.16 ฿573

-8.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 A$18.59

$8.87 ฿296

47.69%

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

$1,631 A$2,314

$688 ฿22.9K

137.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-23.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 A$119

$59.3 ฿1,978

41.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 A$96.9

$34.69 ฿1,157

96.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 A$142

$115 ฿3,843

-13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$193

$83.8 ฿2,794

61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 A$1,742

$621 ฿20.7K

97.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 A$1,573

$446 ฿14.9K

148.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 A$2,863

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 A$2,643

$1,496 ฿49.9K

24.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,508 A$9,235

$3,455 ฿115.3K

88.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,962 A$7,040

$2,531 ฿84.4K

96.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,452 A$6,317

$494 ฿16.5K

801.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

5.33

30.58%

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

Last update for Cairns: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,228 in Cairns versus $621 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 802% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Cairns versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $291 – 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

Cairns vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 78% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,382 per month in Cairns and $1,896 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.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Cairns and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Cairns at $2,254. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,264 versus $2,254 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.