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: $2,166 in Carlton versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,100 in Carlton versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,034 in Carlton versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Carlton is roughly 76% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 62% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 A$27.67

$4.63 ฿151

326.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 A$92.0

$46.84 ฿1,532

40.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.28

$8.84 ฿289

7.24%

Cappuccino

$2.75 A$3.84

$3.00 ฿98.0

-8.33%

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

$2.46 A$3.44

$0.74 ฿24.25

232.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 A$2.65

$0.37 ฿11.95

410.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 A$8.55

$2.44 ฿79.8

150.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 A$8.74

$3.61 ฿118

73.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 A$1.49

$2.26 ฿73.9

-53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 A$2.47

$1.84 ฿60.1

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 A$2.22

$2.24 ฿73.4

-29.02%

Eggs

$2.98 A$4.17

$2.32 ฿75.7

28.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.62

$19.67 ฿643

-54.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.34

$3.65 ฿119

161.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 A$20.46

$13.10 ฿428

11.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.65

$3.39 ฿111

-2.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.59

$1.64 ฿53.7

56.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.19

$2.41 ฿79.0

24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.52

$2.03 ฿66.4

94.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.21

$1.56 ฿50.9

46.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.96

$1.50 ฿48.94

41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$1.02 ฿33.50

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.87

$0.49 ฿16.00

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.38 A$39.74

$4.45 ฿145

537.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 A$15.01

$18.88 ฿617

-43.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 A$6.30

$1.78 ฿58.1

152.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.11

$2.75 ฿90.1

84.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.01

$1.40 ฿45.81

104.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.7 A$72.4

$11.48 ฿376

350.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.12

$3.12 ฿102

17.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 A$1.86

$1.00 ฿32.67

33.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 A$34.02

$14.09 ฿461

72.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.65

$1.35 ฿44.19

-12.59%

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

$23.4K A$32.8K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-13.92%

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

$13.0K A$18.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-60.43%

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

$74.5 A$104

$125 ฿4,087

-40.37%

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

$20.74 A$29.04

$13.57 ฿444

52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.22 A$60.5

$18.52 ฿606

133.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 A$64.1

$61.5 ฿2,010

-25.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 A$25.02

$16.84 ฿551

6.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 A$16.11

$9.19 ฿300

25.24%

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

$1,209 A$1,693

$698 ฿22.8K

73.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K A$16.2K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-25.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$95.5

$57.8 ฿1,889

18.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.6

$35.24 ฿1,152

51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 A$105

$113 ฿3,699

-33.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$146

$86.4 ฿2,825

20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 A$1,824

$616 ฿20.1K

111.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 A$1,566

$446 ฿14.6K

150.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 A$2,758

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-3.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 A$2,267

$1,492 ฿48.8K

8.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 A$9,373

$3,779 ฿123.6K

77.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 A$6,789

$2,649 ฿86.6K

83.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,923 A$8,292

$524 ฿17.1K

1030.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

5.33

16.14%

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

Last update for Carlton: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Carlton and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1031% 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: $66.0 in Carlton vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $292 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 76% in total monthly costs ($2,166 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carlton pays 1031% more on average, 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: $1,303 in Carlton versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,209 in Carlton versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,166 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 76% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.