Cost of Living Comparison Between Double Bay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Double Bay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,241 per month in Double Bay vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,336 per month in Double Bay vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,431 per month in Double Bay vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Double Bay costs about 82% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Double Bay sits 67% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 A$22.32

$4.63 ฿151

244.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 A$110

$46.84 ฿1,532

67.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.42

$8.84 ฿289

8.48%

Cappuccino

$3.30 A$4.62

$3.00 ฿98.0

10.00%

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

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.74 ฿24.25

247.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 A$2.74

$0.37 ฿11.95

429.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 A$8.84

$2.44 ฿79.8

159.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 A$9.81

$3.61 ฿118

94.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.90

$2.26 ฿73.9

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 A$3.64

$1.84 ฿60.1

41.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.18

$2.24 ฿73.4

1.34%

Eggs

$4.13 A$5.78

$2.32 ฿75.7

78.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 A$12.39

$19.67 ฿643

-55.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$3.65 ฿119

129.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 A$19.98

$13.10 ฿428

8.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.57

$3.39 ฿111

-3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.02

$1.64 ฿53.7

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.47

$2.41 ฿79.0

32.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 A$6.46

$2.03 ฿66.4

127.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.41

$1.56 ฿50.9

55.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.22

$1.50 ฿48.94

53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.30

$1.02 ฿33.50

131.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 A$1.77

$0.49 ฿16.00

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.12 A$46.37

$4.45 ฿145

644.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 A$20.43

$18.88 ฿617

-22.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.80 A$6.71

$1.78 ฿58.1

169.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.34

$2.75 ฿90.1

90.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.54

$1.40 ฿45.81

80.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$91.5

$11.48 ฿376

469.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.57

$3.12 ฿102

27.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.19

$1.00 ฿32.67

56.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.85 A$57.2

$14.09 ฿461

189.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.59

$1.35 ฿44.19

-16.30%

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

$28.6K A$40.1K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

5.38%

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

$22.9K A$32.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-30.46%

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

$202 A$282

$125 ฿4,087

61.40%

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

$24.05 A$33.67

$13.57 ฿444

77.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 A$74.2

$18.52 ฿606

186.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.25 A$69.0

$61.5 ฿2,010

-19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.00 A$22.39

$16.84 ฿551

-4.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 A$19.16

$9.19 ฿300

48.86%

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

$1,757 A$2,459

$698 ฿22.8K

151.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K A$18.2K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-16.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 A$101

$57.8 ฿1,889

25.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$77.6

$35.24 ฿1,152

57.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 A$138

$113 ฿3,699

-13.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$158

$86.4 ฿2,825

30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 A$1,783

$616 ฿20.1K

106.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 A$1,514

$446 ฿14.6K

142.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 A$2,767

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-3.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 A$2,366

$1,492 ฿48.8K

13.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,386 A$8,940

$3,779 ฿123.6K

69.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,712 A$6,597

$2,649 ฿86.6K

77.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

5.33

18.01%

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

Last update for Double Bay: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,273 in Double Bay versus $616 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Double Bay versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $292 – 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

Double Bay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Double Bay is pricier by about 82%, 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 $3,361 per month in Double Bay and $1,847 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Double Bay and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,241 in Double Bay and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Double Bay at $2,241. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Double Bay 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, Double Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.