Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Darwin versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,904 in Darwin versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,150 in Darwin versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Darwin is roughly 113% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Darwin is 99% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 A$25.24

$4.55 ฿153

287.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 A$117

$46.18 ฿1,550

76.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.31 A$17.63

$8.84 ฿297

39.25%

Cappuccino

$3.44 A$4.93

$3.06 ฿103

12.42%

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

$2.67 A$3.82

$0.73 ฿24.36

265.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.40 ฿13.37

690.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.49

$2.43 ฿81.6

172.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 A$10.93

$3.78 ฿127

101.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.70

$2.26 ฿75.8

-47.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 A$3.89

$1.81 ฿60.8

49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.04

$2.25 ฿75.7

-5.33%

Eggs

$3.99 A$5.71

$2.25 ฿75.4

77.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 A$14.31

$19.51 ฿655

-48.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 A$11.65

$3.65 ฿122

123.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 A$11.79

$13.05 ฿438

-36.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.34

$3.23 ฿109

15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.04

$1.62 ฿54.3

74.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 A$5.05

$2.38 ฿80.0

48.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 A$6.23

$2.03 ฿68.0

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.53

$1.53 ฿51.5

106.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.10

$1.50 ฿50.4

44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$0.98 ฿32.85

123.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.47

$0.52 ฿17.36

365.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.00 A$35.79

$4.44 ฿149

463.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 A$16.66

$18.32 ฿615

-36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$9.52 A$13.62

$1.86 ฿62.6

411.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 A$9.98

$2.68 ฿90.0

160.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 A$3.19

$1.41 ฿47.37

58.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.01 A$64.4

$11.70 ฿393

284.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.96

$3.11 ฿104

11.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 A$1.68

$1.04 ฿35.00

13.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.83 A$65.6

$14.11 ฿474

224.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.60

$1.31 ฿44.02

-14.50%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

2.09%

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

$31.9K A$45.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-4.03%

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

$234 A$335

$122 ฿4,110

91.19%

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

$34.55 A$49.46

$13.59 ฿456

154.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 A$84.5

$18.70 ฿628

215.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 A$106

$60.5 ฿2,031

22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 A$22.52

$16.98 ฿570

-7.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 A$22.76

$9.07 ฿305

75.19%

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

$1,537 A$2,201

$706 ฿23.7K

117.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,811 A$11.2K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-50.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 A$111

$58.6 ฿1,965

32.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.34 A$64.9

$35.36 ฿1,187

28.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$115 ฿3,876

-12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$83.7 ฿2,811

56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 A$2,366

$626 ฿21.0K

164.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 A$1,883

$445 ฿14.9K

195.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 A$3,882

$2,040 ฿68.5K

32.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 A$3,256

$1,492 ฿50.1K

52.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,800 A$5,440

$3,483 ฿116.9K

9.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,390 A$4,854

$2,577 ฿86.5K

31.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,047

$500 ฿16.8K

745.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

5.33

20.08%

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

Last update for Darwin: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Darwin and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Darwin pays 745% 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: $82.0 in Darwin vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $289 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

Darwin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 745% higher in Darwin, 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: $1,653 in Darwin versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Darwin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $82.0 in Darwin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,658 in Darwin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Darwin. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Darwin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Darwin 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 113% less than in Darwin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.