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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,309 per month in Cairns vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,426 per month in Cairns vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,543 per month in Cairns vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Cairns costs about 88% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cairns sits 72% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 A$16.52

$4.63 ฿151

154.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 A$112

$46.84 ฿1,532

70.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 A$15.27

$8.84 ฿289

23.30%

Cappuccino

$3.74 A$5.24

$3.00 ฿98.0

24.67%

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

$2.82 A$3.95

$0.74 ฿24.25

281.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.21

$0.37 ฿11.95

518.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.25

$2.44 ฿79.8

170.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 A$9.88

$3.61 ฿118

95.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.42

$2.26 ฿73.9

-23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 A$3.53

$1.84 ฿60.1

36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.86

$2.24 ฿73.4

22.77%

Eggs

$4.08 A$5.71

$2.32 ฿75.7

75.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 A$10.91

$19.67 ฿643

-60.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 A$12.73

$3.65 ฿119

149.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 A$18.01

$13.10 ฿428

-1.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 A$4.15

$3.39 ฿111

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.09

$1.64 ฿53.7

34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.85

$2.41 ฿79.0

14.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.33 A$10.26

$2.03 ฿66.4

261.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.20

$1.56 ฿50.9

46.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.16

$1.50 ฿48.94

50.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.20

$1.02 ฿33.50

124.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.04

$0.49 ฿16.00

489.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.79 A$41.71

$4.45 ฿145

569.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 A$16.23

$18.88 ฿617

-38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.72

$1.78 ฿58.1

89.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 A$4.91

$2.75 ฿90.1

27.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 A$4.57

$1.40 ฿45.81

133.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$91.9

$11.48 ฿376

472.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 A$9.01

$3.12 ฿102

106.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 A$4.30

$1.00 ฿32.67

207.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.27 A$46.58

$14.09 ฿461

136.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.54

$1.35 ฿44.19

-18.52%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-17.00%

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

$19.6K A$27.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-40.42%

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

$154 A$216

$125 ฿4,087

23.60%

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

$37.14 A$52.0

$13.57 ฿444

173.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 A$83.2

$18.52 ฿606

220.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 A$54.0

$61.5 ฿2,010

-37.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 A$21.69

$16.84 ฿551

-7.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 A$17.98

$9.19 ฿300

39.72%

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

$1,608 A$2,251

$698 ฿22.8K

130.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.5K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-24.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 A$117

$57.8 ฿1,889

44.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 A$95.4

$35.24 ฿1,152

93.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 A$137

$113 ฿3,699

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$188

$86.4 ฿2,825

55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 A$1,696

$616 ฿20.1K

96.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 A$1,543

$446 ฿14.6K

147.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 A$2,872

$2,048 ฿67.0K

0.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 A$2,538

$1,492 ฿48.8K

21.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,758 A$9,461

$3,779 ฿123.6K

78.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,068 A$7,095

$2,649 ฿86.6K

91.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,557 A$6,379

$524 ฿17.1K

769.89%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Cairns versus $616 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 770% 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 $80.0 in Cairns versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $292 – 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 88% 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 $3,464 per month in Cairns and $1,847 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 22% 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 $80.0 in Cairns and $47.00 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 $1,232, than in Cairns at $2,309. 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 $1,232 versus $2,309 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.