Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Epping and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,637 in Epping, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Epping
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Epping Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,637

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Epping 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 Epping and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,637 in Epping versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Epping $2,637
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,717 in Epping versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Epping $3,717
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,798 in Epping versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Epping $4,798
Phuket $3,115

Living in Epping is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Epping is 95% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 A$17.94

$4.39 ฿148

185.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 A$92.1

$32.31 ฿1,090

99.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 A$16.69

$8.70 ฿294

34.02%

Cappuccino

$3.12 A$4.47

$2.72 ฿91.9

14.71%

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

$2.46 A$3.53

$0.93 ฿31.39

164.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 A$3.65

$0.50 ฿16.85

410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 A$11.68

$2.53 ฿85.4

222.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.56 A$12.25

$3.63 ฿122

135.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.18

$1.74 ฿58.7

-12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 A$3.08

$1.45 ฿48.95

48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.68

$1.50 ฿50.7

24.67%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.56

$2.17 ฿73.3

143.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 A$14.49

$19.09 ฿644

-46.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 A$12.15

$3.40 ฿115

149.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 A$21.50

$10.90 ฿368

37.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 A$4.95

$2.94 ฿99.2

17.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$1.69 ฿57.1

65.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.52

$2.19 ฿74.0

12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.97

$2.12 ฿71.7

63.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.44

$1.46 ฿49.21

64.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.16

$1.37 ฿46.15

61.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$3.02

$1.08 ฿36.30

95.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.23

$0.55 ฿18.41

183.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.46 A$39.30

$4.43 ฿149

519.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 A$15.16

$18.25 ฿616

-41.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.35

$1.77 ฿59.8

150.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 A$6.78

$2.88 ฿97.2

64.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.58

$1.45 ฿48.84

120.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 A$119

$54.9 ฿1,852

51.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.14

$1.51 ฿51.0

137.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$0.78 ฿26.18

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 A$39.51

$3.84 ฿130

618.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.81

$1.49 ฿50.2

-15.44%

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

$17.4K A$24.9K

$26.9K ฿907.0K

-35.39%

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

$18.9K A$27.0K

$26.3K ฿888.9K

-28.42%

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

$139 A$199

$97.8 ฿3,300

42.17%

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

$28.02 A$40.11

$11.29 ฿381

148.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.70 A$64.0

$17.19 ฿580

160.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$80.7

$68.3 ฿2,305

-17.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.89 A$25.61

$10.92 ฿368

63.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 A$20.40

$7.43 ฿251

91.79%

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

$1,669 A$2,389

$530 ฿17.9K

214.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K A$31.1K

$18.8K ฿633.7K

15.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$101

$61.7 ฿2,081

14.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 A$69.7

$28.25 ฿953

72.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$171

$96.0 ฿3,239

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$152

$86.8 ฿2,929

22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 A$2,134

$721 ฿24.3K

106.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,135

$509 ฿17.2K

193.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,359 A$3,377

$1,950 ฿65.8K

20.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 A$3,188

$1,397 ฿47.1K

59.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,850 A$8,375

$4,192 ฿141.4K

39.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,978 A$7,126

$3,298 ฿111.3K

50.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 A$6,093

$492 ฿16.6K

765.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.57

-1.26%

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

Last update for Epping: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Epping

$1.5K 56.6%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 65.9% $983

Groceries & Markets

Epping

$336 12.8%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 20.6% $69

Eating Out

Epping

$251 9.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 52.3% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Epping

$212 8%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 40.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Epping

$155 5.9%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 20.9% $32

Getting Around

Epping

$106 4%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 37.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Epping

$85 3.2%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,490 in Epping and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Epping pays about 8.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64 in Epping vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Epping

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

4 h behind Epping

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,435

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Epping Phuket 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Epping
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

Epping vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Epping. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Epping is about 8.7 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: $1,490 in Epping versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $64 in Epping. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,637 per month in Epping versus $1,294 in Phuket – Phuket is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,637 in Epping, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Epping. 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, Epping 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 51% less than in Epping. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.