Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,328 in Carlton, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Carlton and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Carlton and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in Carlton versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Carlton $2,328
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,353 in Carlton versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Carlton $3,353
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Carlton versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Carlton $4,379
Phuket $3,154

Living in Carlton is roughly 82% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlton is 71% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 A$24.65

$4.47 ฿151

287.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 A$98.3

$32.41 ฿1,094

113.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.62

$8.81 ฿297

16.69%

Cappuccino

$3.03 A$4.31

$2.83 ฿95.4

7.07%

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

$2.70 A$3.84

$0.87 ฿29.42

210.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$0.49 ฿16.66

318.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 A$9.51

$2.56 ฿86.3

161.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 A$9.39

$3.68 ฿124

79.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.85

$1.66 ฿56.0

-21.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 A$2.96

$1.46 ฿49.32

42.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.50 ฿50.5

-7.33%

Eggs

$3.41 A$4.84

$2.09 ฿70.5

63.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.79

$19.07 ฿643

-45.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.17

$3.30 ฿111

201.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 A$21.25

$10.91 ฿368

36.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.71

$2.93 ฿98.9

12.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.93

$1.69 ฿57.0

63.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.66

$2.25 ฿75.8

45.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.79

$2.08 ฿70.1

129.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.42

$1.51 ฿51.0

59.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.09

$1.38 ฿46.54

57.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$1.07 ฿35.97

110.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.28

$0.52 ฿17.51

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.30 A$35.98

$4.20 ฿142

502.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 A$15.09

$18.79 ฿634

-43.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.57 A$7.92

$1.82 ฿61.5

206.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.51

$2.84 ฿95.9

85.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.38

$1.45 ฿49.00

112.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 A$118

$56.7 ฿1,912

45.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.22

$3.02 ฿102

21.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 A$1.76

$1.02 ฿34.34

21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.46 A$37.64

$3.69 ฿125

617.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.47 ฿49.78

-12.24%

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

$18.2K A$25.9K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-31.89%

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

$14.0K A$20.0K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-47.37%

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

$93.2 A$133

$96.4 ฿3,252

-3.30%

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

$28.34 A$40.30

$11.26 ฿380

151.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.79 A$66.6

$16.85 ฿569

177.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 A$45.30

$67.2 ฿2,269

-52.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 A$25.46

$10.73 ฿362

66.82%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 A$19.14

$7.50 ฿253

79.47%

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

$2,108 A$2,998

$476 ฿16.1K

342.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.6K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

10.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$62.4 ฿2,105

28.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.5

$28.41 ฿959

79.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 A$99.1

$94.3 ฿3,182

-26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$187

$85.8 ฿2,896

53.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,005

$716 ฿24.2K

96.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,756

$491 ฿16.6K

151.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 A$3,158

$1,927 ฿65.0K

15.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 A$2,612

$1,431 ฿48.3K

28.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,665 A$8,057

$4,175 ฿140.9K

35.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,569

$3,045 ฿102.8K

51.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,904 A$8,398

$502 ฿17.0K

1075.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.57

5.92%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 53.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 60.2% $744

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$340 14.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 21.7% $74

Eating Out

Carlton

$272 11.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 55.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$168 7.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 26% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 18.5% $28

Getting Around

Carlton

$105 4.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 32.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$59 2.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 39.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,409 in Carlton and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Carlton vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

11:46 11:46 AM

4 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carlton Phuket 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,328 in Carlton and $1,278 in Phuket, so Phuket is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Carlton is about 12 times higher, 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: $1,409 in Carlton versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,108 in Carlton versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,328 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.