Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geelong and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,602 in Geelong, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Geelong
Learn more

Geelong Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Geelong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,602

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Geelong versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Geelong $2,602
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Geelong versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Geelong $3,495
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Geelong versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Geelong $4,387
Phuket $2,867

Living in Geelong is roughly 116% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Geelong is 93% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 A$25.27

$4.58 ฿153

283.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 A$118

$32.48 ฿1,086

152.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 A$14.80

$8.55 ฿286

20.35%

Cappuccino

$3.80 A$5.47

$2.72 ฿91.0

39.71%

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

$2.80 A$4.03

$0.94 ฿31.25

197.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 A$3.10

$0.49 ฿16.39

340.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.39

$2.59 ฿86.6

152.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 A$11.30

$3.83 ฿128

104.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.74 ฿58.1

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.65

$1.43 ฿47.82

77.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.70

$1.53 ฿51.0

22.22%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.14

$2.17 ฿72.7

96.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 A$11.15

$19.15 ฿640

-59.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.90

$3.30 ฿110

192.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.35 A$22.08

$11.14 ฿372

37.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 A$5.92

$2.95 ฿98.5

39.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.20

$1.68 ฿56.1

73.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.18

$2.30 ฿76.8

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$2.13 ฿71.3

51.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.53 ฿51.1

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.12

$1.36 ฿45.55

59.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 A$2.98

$1.12 ฿37.44

84.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.24

$0.55 ฿18.24

181.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.24 A$65.1

$4.26 ฿142

961.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 A$18.19

$18.19 ฿608

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 A$5.45

$1.74 ฿58.2

117.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 A$4.27

$2.79 ฿93.3

6.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.45 A$10.72

$2.22 ฿74.1

235.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 A$184

$22.06 ฿737

480.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 A$6.41

$2.91 ฿97.3

52.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.01 ฿33.79

34.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 A$43.12

$3.83 ฿128

682.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.85

$1.49 ฿49.85

-13.42%

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

$28.0K A$40.2K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

4.80%

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

$26.3K A$37.9K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-1.45%

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

$155 A$222

$99.4 ฿3,321

55.58%

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

$25.90 A$37.28

$11.28 ฿377

129.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.3

$17.36 ฿580

225.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$80.1

$52.3 ฿1,747

6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.25 A$21.95

$10.85 ฿362

40.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 A$18.30

$7.57 ฿253

68.03%

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

$2,138 A$3,076

$558 ฿18.7K

282.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K A$42.6K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

157.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$62.9 ฿2,102

26.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 A$70.4

$28.58 ฿955

71.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 A$135

$96.1 ฿3,213

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$151

$88.1 ฿2,943

18.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 A$1,818

$729 ฿24.4K

73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 A$1,933

$460 ฿15.4K

192.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 A$2,471

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-18.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,167

$1,222 ฿40.8K

23.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 A$9,436

$3,459 ฿115.6K

89.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 A$7,600

$2,489 ฿83.2K

112.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,086 A$4,441

$493 ฿16.5K

525.92%

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 Geelong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geelong

$1.3K 51.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 65.8% $883

Groceries & Markets

Geelong

$340 13.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 21.2% $72

Eating Out

Geelong

$285 11%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 57.5% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geelong

$237 9.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 46% $109

Getting Around

Geelong

$169 6.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 77% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Geelong

$147 5.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Geelong

$81 3.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 16.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Geelong and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Geelong pays 526% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Geelong vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Geelong

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

4 h behind Geelong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,239

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Geelong Phuket 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Geelong
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

Geelong vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geelong and Phuket differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($2,602 vs $1,207 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 526% higher in Geelong, 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: $1,264 in Geelong versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,602 per month in Geelong versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 116% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 480% less than in Geelong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,602 in Geelong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Geelong. 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, Geelong and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Geelong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.