Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,323 in Carlton versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,397 in Carlton versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,472 in Carlton versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Carlton is roughly 89% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 70% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 A$25.34

$4.41 ฿147

307.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 A$102

$32.26 ฿1,077

124.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 A$14.69

$8.93 ฿298

16.69%

Cappuccino

$3.08 A$4.34

$2.90 ฿96.6

6.21%

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

$2.64 A$3.73

$0.88 ฿29.38

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.07

$0.48 ฿16.06

354.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 A$9.72

$2.35 ฿78.5

193.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 A$9.36

$3.72 ฿124

78.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.85

$1.87 ฿62.3

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 A$2.88

$1.47 ฿48.94

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.55 ฿51.8

-10.32%

Eggs

$3.39 A$4.78

$2.10 ฿70.1

61.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 A$15.42

$19.59 ฿654

-44.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.63

$3.42 ฿114

182.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.83

$11.38 ฿380

36.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.73

$2.98 ฿99.6

12.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.99

$1.68 ฿56.2

68.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.65

$2.21 ฿73.7

48.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.70

$2.16 ฿72.1

119.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.51

$1.52 ฿50.9

63.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.13

$1.34 ฿44.67

65.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.14

$1.13 ฿37.67

97.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 A$1.23

$0.55 ฿18.24

58.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.25 A$35.61

$4.26 ฿142

492.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 A$15.01

$19.09 ฿637

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.81

$1.78 ฿59.4

211.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.49

$2.78 ฿92.9

91.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 A$4.59

$2.23 ฿74.4

45.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 A$119

$22.74 ฿759

271.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.17

$3.03 ฿101

21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 A$1.79

$1.02 ฿34.15

24.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.37 A$38.60

$3.89 ฿130

603.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.96

$1.49 ฿49.77

-6.71%

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

$18.2K A$25.7K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-31.53%

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

$14.3K A$20.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-46.94%

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

$94.9 A$134

$102 ฿3,420

-7.43%

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

$28.80 A$40.62

$11.33 ฿378

154.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.15 A$66.5

$17.40 ฿581

170.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 A$44.97

$52.1 ฿1,738

-38.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 A$26.23

$11.07 ฿370

68.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 A$18.78

$7.69 ฿257

73.21%

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

$2,163 A$3,050

$561 ฿18.7K

285.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K A$18.5K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

13.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 A$114

$63.0 ฿2,104

28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 A$73.9

$29.52 ฿986

77.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 A$103

$98.0 ฿3,272

-25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$190

$88.5 ฿2,954

52.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 A$2,052

$738 ฿24.6K

97.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 A$1,798

$482 ฿16.1K

164.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 A$3,212

$2,107 ฿70.3K

8.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 A$2,604

$1,226 ฿40.9K

50.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,371 A$8,985

$3,617 ฿120.7K

76.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,980 A$7,023

$2,603 ฿86.9K

91.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,844 A$8,242

$494 ฿16.5K

1083.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

5.57

5.39%

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

Last update for Carlton: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,455 in Carlton and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1084% 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: $72.0 in Carlton vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Carlton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Phuket differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,323 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1084% higher in Carlton, 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: $1,455 in Carlton versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,163 in Carlton versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,323 in Carlton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Carlton. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Carlton 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 89% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.