Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankston and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,438 in Frankston, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Frankston
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Frankston Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Frankston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,438

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,438 per month in Frankston vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Frankston $2,438
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,403 per month in Frankston vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Frankston $3,403
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,369 per month in Frankston vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Frankston $4,369
Phuket $3,154

Frankston costs about 91% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Frankston sits 79% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 A$21.76

$4.47 ฿151

240.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 A$85.5

$32.41 ฿1,092

84.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 A$15.31

$8.81 ฿297

21.68%

Cappuccino

$2.74 A$3.92

$2.83 ฿95.3

-3.18%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$0.87 ฿29.37

265.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 A$2.97

$0.49 ฿16.64

324.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 A$14.32

$2.56 ฿86.2

291.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 A$9.72

$3.68 ฿124

85.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.66 ฿55.9

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.74

$1.46 ฿49.25

79.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.94

$1.50 ฿50.4

37.33%

Eggs

$3.78 A$5.40

$2.09 ฿70.4

80.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 A$15.17

$19.07 ฿642

-44.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.67

$3.30 ฿111

190.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 A$11.13

$10.91 ฿368

-28.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.93 ฿98.7

-8.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.51

$1.69 ฿56.9

86.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.94

$2.25 ฿75.7

22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.89

$2.08 ฿70.0

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$1.51 ฿50.9

101.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.71

$1.38 ฿46.47

88.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.45

$1.07 ฿35.91

125.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.96

$0.52 ฿17.49

165.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$61.1

$4.20 ฿142

919.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.28 A$8.97

$18.79 ฿633

-66.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 A$4.64

$1.82 ฿61.4

78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$6.03

$2.84 ฿95.7

48.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 A$5.16

$1.45 ฿48.93

148.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.1 A$119

$56.7 ฿1,909

46.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 A$6.34

$3.02 ฿102

47.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.05

$1.02 ฿34.29

41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.55 A$43.63

$3.69 ฿124

727.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.47 ฿49.70

-21.77%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

10.87%

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

$26.3K A$37.6K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-1.38%

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

$228 A$326

$96.4 ฿3,247

136.98%

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

$10.68 A$15.26

$11.26 ฿380

-5.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$81.0

$16.85 ฿568

236.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 A$81.4

$67.2 ฿2,266

-15.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 A$25.24

$10.73 ฿361

64.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 A$24.95

$7.50 ฿253

132.93%

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

$2,450 A$3,499

$476 ฿16.0K

414.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K A$43.4K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

169.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.9 A$114

$62.4 ฿2,102

28.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.2

$28.41 ฿957

80.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 A$126

$94.3 ฿3,178

-6.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.59 A$69.4

$85.8 ฿2,892

-43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,007

$716 ฿24.1K

96.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 A$1,780

$491 ฿16.5K

153.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 A$3,169

$1,927 ฿64.9K

15.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 A$2,629

$1,431 ฿48.2K

28.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,812 A$8,300

$4,175 ฿140.7K

39.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,351 A$7,641

$3,045 ฿102.6K

75.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,360 A$6,227

$502 ฿16.9K

768.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.57

5.92%

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

Last update for Frankston: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankston

$1.2K 51.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 60.6% $756

Groceries & Markets

Frankston

$302 12.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 12% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankston

$296 12.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 57.9% $171

Eating Out

Frankston

$272 11.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 55.2% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Frankston

$120 4.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 1.2% $1.4

Getting Around

Frankston

$109 4.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 35.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Frankston

$92 3.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 10.6% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,405 in Frankston versus $716 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 in Frankston are about 8.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Frankston versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Frankston

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

16:44 4:44 PM

4 h behind Frankston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,331

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 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

Frankston Phuket 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Frankston
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

Frankston vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Frankston is pricier by about 91%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,658 per month in Frankston and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,405 in Frankston.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Frankston, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Frankston and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Frankston at $2,438. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Frankston 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Frankston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.