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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,619 per month in Esperance vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,760 per month in Esperance vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,900 per month in Esperance vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Esperance costs about 113% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Esperance sits 91% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 A$21.57

$4.41 ฿147

248.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$119

$32.26 ฿1,074

162.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 A$15.31

$8.93 ฿297

22.17%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$4.94

$2.90 ฿96.4

21.38%

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

$3.22 A$4.52

$0.88 ฿29.30

265.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.99

$0.48 ฿16.01

343.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.71 A$10.82

$2.35 ฿78.3

228.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 A$11.22

$3.72 ฿124

114.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.09

$1.87 ฿62.1

-20.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.47

$1.47 ฿48.81

68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.38

$1.55 ฿51.7

54.84%

Eggs

$4.96 A$6.96

$2.10 ฿70.0

136.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 A$13.92

$19.59 ฿652

-49.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.92

$3.42 ฿114

169.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.82 A$20.81

$11.38 ฿379

30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 A$5.17

$2.98 ฿99.3

23.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.39

$1.68 ฿56.1

86.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$4.91

$2.21 ฿73.5

58.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 A$6.88

$2.16 ฿72.0

126.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.75

$1.52 ฿50.8

75.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.01

$1.34 ฿44.55

59.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.30

$1.13 ฿37.57

107.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.30

$0.55 ฿18.19

198.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.76 A$64.3

$4.26 ฿142

974.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 A$21.04

$19.09 ฿635

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.97 A$6.97

$1.78 ฿59.2

179.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 A$7.87

$2.78 ฿92.6

101.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 A$4.37

$2.23 ฿74.2

39.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 A$120

$22.74 ฿757

276.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$4.95

$3.03 ฿101

16.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.25

$1.02 ฿34.06

57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.62 A$57.1

$3.89 ฿130

944.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.73

$1.49 ฿49.63

-16.78%

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

$27.9K A$39.2K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

4.97%

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

$31.0K A$43.5K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

14.52%

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

$241 A$338

$102 ฿3,411

134.86%

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

$28.92 A$40.61

$11.33 ฿377

155.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.61 A$69.7

$17.40 ฿579

185.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$79.1

$52.1 ฿1,734

8.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 A$26.23

$11.07 ฿369

68.74%

Cinema Ticket

$16.93 A$23.77

$7.69 ฿256

120.16%

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

$2,119 A$2,976

$561 ฿18.7K

278.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K A$29.2K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

80.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 A$111

$63.0 ฿2,098

25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$77.8

$29.52 ฿983

87.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$156

$98.0 ฿3,263

13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 A$180

$88.5 ฿2,946

45.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 A$1,971

$738 ฿24.6K

90.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 A$1,759

$482 ฿16.1K

159.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,198 A$3,087

$2,107 ฿70.1K

4.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 A$2,625

$1,226 ฿40.8K

52.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,995 A$8,418

$3,617 ฿120.4K

65.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,964 A$6,971

$2,603 ฿86.7K

90.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,538 A$4,969

$494 ฿16.4K

616.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

5.57

5.39%

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

Last update for Esperance: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,404 in Esperance versus $738 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 617% 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 $85.0 in Esperance versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $274 – 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: $2,619 in Esperance, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 113% apart. Esperance costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,929 per month in Esperance 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 $85.0 in Esperance and $32.00 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 $2,619 in Esperance 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 Esperance at $2,619. 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 $1,232 in Phuket to $2,619 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.