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: $2,121 in Carlton versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Carlton versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,048 in Carlton versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Carlton is roughly 68% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 59% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.39 A$27.51

$4.48 ฿150

332.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 A$91.9

$45.59 ฿1,521

42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 A$13.51

$8.76 ฿292

8.68%

Cappuccino

$2.83 A$4.02

$2.97 ฿99.0

-4.71%

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

$2.37 A$3.36

$0.69 ฿22.90

243.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 A$2.83

$0.39 ฿13.04

410.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 A$8.81

$2.53 ฿84.4

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 A$8.79

$3.75 ฿125

65.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.57

$2.15 ฿71.6

-48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.82 ฿60.6

-6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 A$2.29

$2.18 ฿72.9

-25.69%

Eggs

$2.99 A$4.24

$2.25 ฿75.0

32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 A$12.90

$20.00 ฿667

-54.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.27

$3.63 ฿121

157.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 A$20.49

$13.56 ฿452

6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.55

$3.24 ฿108

-1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.64 ฿54.6

55.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.33 ฿77.8

24.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.83

$2.07 ฿69.1

98.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.18

$1.55 ฿51.6

44.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.85

$1.46 ฿48.54

37.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.01

$0.98 ฿32.86

116.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.89

$0.48 ฿16.09

177.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.15 A$41.36

$4.35 ฿145

570.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$15.11

$18.57 ฿620

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 A$6.54

$1.86 ฿61.9

147.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$2.65 ฿88.6

96.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 A$4.23

$1.42 ฿47.28

109.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 A$72.5

$11.57 ฿386

341.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$5.00

$3.17 ฿106

11.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.03 ฿34.41

33.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 A$35.33

$13.89 ฿463

79.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.34 ฿44.84

-11.94%

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

$23.3K A$33.1K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-16.01%

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

$12.9K A$18.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-61.34%

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

$74.2 A$105

$123 ฿4,105

-39.74%

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

$21.33 A$30.27

$13.77 ฿459

54.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.62 A$61.9

$18.33 ฿611

137.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.22 A$65.6

$60.7 ฿2,025

-23.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 A$25.56

$17.16 ฿573

5.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 A$16.93

$8.87 ฿296

34.50%

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

$1,177 A$1,670

$688 ฿22.9K

71.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K A$16.3K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-27.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 A$98.1

$59.3 ฿1,978

16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 A$74.4

$34.69 ฿1,157

51.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 A$110

$115 ฿3,843

-32.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$146

$83.8 ฿2,794

22.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 A$1,845

$621 ฿20.7K

109.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 A$1,628

$446 ฿14.9K

157.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 A$2,756

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-4.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 A$2,269

$1,496 ฿49.9K

6.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,052 A$8,587

$3,455 ฿115.3K

75.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,426 A$7,699

$2,531 ฿84.4K

114.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,828 A$8,269

$494 ฿16.5K

1080.68%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,300 in Carlton and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1081% 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: $65.0 in Carlton vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $291 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 68% in total monthly costs ($2,121 vs $1,264 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1081% 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: $1,300 in Carlton versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,177 in Carlton versus $688 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,121 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 68% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.