Cost of Living Comparison Between Esperance and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Esperance and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,215 per month in Esperance vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,301 per month in Esperance vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,388 per month in Esperance vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Esperance costs about 75% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Esperance sits 66% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 A$22.84

$4.48 ฿150

259.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 A$112

$45.59 ฿1,521

72.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 A$13.83

$8.76 ฿292

11.30%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.93

$2.97 ฿99.0

16.84%

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

$2.52 A$3.58

$0.69 ฿22.90

265.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.11

$0.39 ฿13.04

461.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 A$9.10

$2.53 ฿84.4

153.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 A$10.03

$3.75 ฿125

88.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$2.15 ฿71.6

-30.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 A$3.46

$1.82 ฿60.6

34.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.77

$2.18 ฿72.9

-10.55%

Eggs

$4.35 A$6.17

$2.25 ฿75.0

93.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 A$12.12

$20.00 ฿667

-57.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 A$12.25

$3.63 ฿121

137.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 A$19.74

$13.56 ฿452

2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 A$4.76

$3.24 ฿108

3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.03

$1.64 ฿54.6

73.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.13

$2.33 ฿77.8

24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$2.07 ฿69.1

96.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.46

$1.55 ฿51.6

57.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.11

$1.46 ฿48.54

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.98

$0.98 ฿32.86

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.25

$0.48 ฿16.09

231.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.97 A$43.94

$4.35 ฿145

611.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.96 A$16.97

$18.57 ฿620

-35.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.37

$1.86 ฿61.9

141.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.66

$2.65 ฿88.6

103.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 A$3.66

$1.42 ฿47.28

81.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$91.2

$11.57 ฿386

455.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.20

$3.17 ฿106

15.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.28

$1.03 ฿34.41

56.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.92 A$48.13

$13.89 ฿463

144.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.62

$1.34 ฿44.84

-14.93%

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

$28.4K A$40.4K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

2.35%

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

$22.4K A$31.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-32.78%

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

$185 A$263

$123 ฿4,105

50.35%

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

$27.76 A$39.39

$13.77 ฿459

101.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.8

$18.33 ฿611

191.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.62 A$69.0

$60.7 ฿2,025

-19.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 A$21.96

$17.16 ฿573

-9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 A$18.66

$8.87 ฿296

48.25%

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

$1,620 A$2,299

$688 ฿22.9K

135.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.1K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-23.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 A$96.3

$59.3 ฿1,978

14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 A$71.1

$34.69 ฿1,157

44.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 A$134

$115 ฿3,843

-18.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$155

$83.8 ฿2,794

30.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 A$1,757

$621 ฿20.7K

99.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 A$1,521

$446 ฿14.9K

140.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 A$2,863

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-0.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 A$2,379

$1,496 ฿49.9K

12.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,490 A$7,790

$3,455 ฿115.3K

58.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,588 A$6,509

$2,531 ฿84.4K

81.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,524 A$5,000

$494 ฿16.5K

613.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

5.33

18.95%

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

Last update for Esperance: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Esperance versus $621 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 614% higher in Esperance, 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 $79.0 in Esperance versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $291 – 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

Esperance vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,215 in Esperance, $1,264 in Phuket – roughly 75% apart. Esperance costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,322 per month in Esperance and $1,896 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 $79.0 in Esperance and $46.00 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 $2,215 in Esperance and $1,264 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 $1,264, than in Esperance at $2,215. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Esperance it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,264 in Phuket to $2,215 in Esperance. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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