Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,452 in Grafton versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,497 in Grafton versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Grafton versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Grafton is roughly 99% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 79% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 A$24.75

$4.41 ฿147

299.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$112

$32.26 ฿1,074

146.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.93

$8.93 ฿297

27.10%

Cappuccino

$3.43 A$4.81

$2.90 ฿96.4

18.28%

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

$2.94 A$4.12

$0.88 ฿29.30

234.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 A$3.55

$0.48 ฿16.01

427.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 A$11.93

$2.35 ฿78.3

261.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.07

$3.72 ฿124

130.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.57

$1.87 ฿62.1

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$1.47 ฿48.81

89.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.25

$1.55 ฿51.7

49.03%

Eggs

$3.64 A$5.12

$2.10 ฿70.0

73.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.33

$19.59 ฿652

-51.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 A$11.30

$3.42 ฿114

135.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 A$20.05

$11.38 ฿379

25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.07

$2.98 ฿99.3

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 A$1.96

$1.68 ฿56.1

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.10

$2.21 ฿73.5

32.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 A$6.96

$2.16 ฿72.0

129.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.09

$1.52 ฿50.8

44.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.27

$1.34 ฿44.55

73.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 A$2.55

$1.13 ฿37.57

60.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.64

$0.55 ฿18.19

112.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.65 A$43.03

$4.26 ฿142

619.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 A$18.10

$19.09 ฿635

-32.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.46 A$7.67

$1.78 ฿59.2

206.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.26

$2.78 ฿92.6

85.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 A$4.88

$2.23 ฿74.2

56.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 A$134

$22.74 ฿757

319.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 A$4.38

$3.03 ฿101

2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 A$2.57

$1.02 ฿34.06

79.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.22 A$57.9

$3.89 ฿130

959.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.90

$1.49 ฿49.63

-9.40%

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

$28.4K A$39.9K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

6.91%

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

$25.3K A$35.5K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-6.55%

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

$172 A$241

$102 ฿3,411

67.80%

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

$27.97 A$39.27

$11.33 ฿377

146.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.6

$17.40 ฿579

189.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$79.9

$52.1 ฿1,734

9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.58 A$23.29

$11.07 ฿369

49.77%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$16.92

$7.69 ฿256

56.70%

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

$686 A$963

$561 ฿18.7K

22.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,205 A$4,500

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-72.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 A$118

$63.0 ฿2,098

33.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.02 A$60.4

$29.52 ฿983

45.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$161

$98.0 ฿3,263

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$158

$88.5 ฿2,946

26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 A$2,028

$738 ฿24.6K

95.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 A$1,713

$482 ฿16.1K

152.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,332 A$3,275

$2,107 ฿70.1K

10.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 A$2,585

$1,226 ฿40.8K

50.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,274 A$8,811

$3,617 ฿120.4K

73.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,818 A$6,766

$2,603 ฿86.7K

85.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,560 A$3,595

$494 ฿16.4K

418.61%

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 Grafton: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Grafton and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 419% 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: $79.0 in Grafton vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Grafton vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grafton and Phuket differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,452 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 419% higher in Grafton, 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: $1,444 in Grafton versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Grafton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $79.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,452 in Grafton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Grafton. 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, Grafton 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 99% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.