Cost of Living Comparison Between Dandenong and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dandenong and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,564 per month in Dandenong vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,496 per month in Dandenong vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,428 per month in Dandenong vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Dandenong costs about 103% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Dandenong sits 86% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.55

$4.66 ฿154

277.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 A$74.2

$32.22 ฿1,065

65.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 A$17.25

$8.68 ฿287

42.51%

Cappuccino

$4.02 A$5.60

$2.90 ฿95.8

38.62%

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

$2.30 A$3.21

$0.84 ฿27.89

173.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.31

$0.49 ฿16.16

383.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 A$8.15

$2.48 ฿82.0

135.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 A$4.98

$3.73 ฿123

-4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.89 ฿62.3

-13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 A$3.57

$1.41 ฿46.54

81.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.41

$1.62 ฿53.6

50.62%

Eggs

$5.69 A$7.93

$2.24 ฿74.1

154.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 A$11.77

$19.84 ฿656

-57.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 A$11.19

$3.48 ฿115

130.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 A$16.94

$11.37 ฿376

6.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 A$4.94

$2.90 ฿95.8

22.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.95

$1.72 ฿57.0

64.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.95

$2.27 ฿75.1

-6.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$2.13 ฿70.4

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.07

$1.47 ฿48.72

49.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.68

$1.42 ฿46.92

85.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 A$0.97

$1.10 ฿36.25

-37.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.25

$0.60 ฿19.76

168.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.37 A$63.3

$4.31 ฿142

952.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 A$15.22

$18.60 ฿615

-41.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.69

$1.80 ฿59.5

206.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 A$5.02

$2.97 ฿98.0

21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.24 A$7.31

$2.25 ฿74.2

132.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 A$119

$23.49 ฿776

263.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 A$6.04

$3.10 ฿102

39.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.01

$1.08 ฿35.56

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.78 A$42.91

$3.87 ฿128

695.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.03

$1.43 ฿47.16

1.40%

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

$29.6K A$41.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

6.60%

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

$24.9K A$34.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-7.90%

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

$243 A$338

$105 ฿3,462

131.66%

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

$15.82 A$22.06

$11.39 ฿376

38.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.45 A$59.2

$17.54 ฿580

142.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 A$80.3

$54.3 ฿1,795

6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.13 A$25.28

$11.44 ฿378

58.48%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 A$25.21

$7.78 ฿257

132.39%

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

$2,405 A$3,353

$576 ฿19.0K

317.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K A$45.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

183.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.90 A$45.87

$63.6 ฿2,103

-48.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.62 A$24.56

$29.10 ฿961

-39.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$150

$96.2 ฿3,179

11.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 A$159

$90.0 ฿2,974

26.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 A$2,054

$733 ฿24.2K

100.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 A$1,784

$501 ฿16.5K

155.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 A$3,203

$2,126 ฿70.2K

8.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 A$2,628

$1,252 ฿41.4K

50.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,607 A$9,212

$3,534 ฿116.8K

86.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,237 A$7,301

$2,622 ฿86.6K

99.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,313 A$6,013

$508 ฿16.8K

749.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

5.57

5.03%

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

Last update for Dandenong: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,473 in Dandenong versus $733 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 750% higher in Dandenong, 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 $53.0 in Dandenong versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $275 – 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

Dandenong vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dandenong is pricier by about 103%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,846 per month in Dandenong and $1,898 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 17% more in Dandenong, 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 $53.0 in Dandenong and $32.00 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 $1,265, than in Dandenong at $2,564. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dandenong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Dandenong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.