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: $2,107 in Grafton versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Grafton versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,179 in Grafton versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Grafton is roughly 67% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 57% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 A$22.79

$4.56 ฿149

253.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 A$101

$46.63 ฿1,519

52.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 A$13.61

$8.47 ฿276

13.70%

Cappuccino

$3.14 A$4.43

$3.03 ฿98.6

3.63%

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

$2.59 A$3.65

$0.69 ฿22.45

275.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.12

$0.37 ฿11.92

497.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 A$9.06

$2.49 ฿81.0

157.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 A$11.17

$3.66 ฿119

115.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 A$1.51

$2.18 ฿71.0

-50.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 A$3.14

$1.90 ฿62.0

16.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.66

$2.20 ฿71.6

-14.55%

Eggs

$3.33 A$4.71

$2.22 ฿72.4

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 A$11.27

$19.99 ฿651

-60.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 A$10.18

$3.66 ฿119

96.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 A$19.21

$13.25 ฿432

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.58

$3.23 ฿105

-21.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.87

$1.70 ฿55.3

-22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.88

$2.39 ฿78.0

14.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.17

$2.08 ฿67.7

109.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.73

$1.59 ฿51.8

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.99

$1.48 ฿48.31

43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 A$2.34

$1.03 ฿33.54

61.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 A$1.42

$0.52 ฿16.83

92.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.51 A$40.29

$4.25 ฿138

570.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 A$18.25

$18.79 ฿612

-31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.57 A$6.45

$1.76 ฿57.2

159.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 A$5.98

$2.76 ฿89.8

53.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.77

$1.36 ฿44.32

96.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$92.9

$11.36 ฿370

478.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 A$3.18

$3.14 ฿102

-28.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 A$2.17

$1.04 ฿33.74

48.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.09 A$46.75

$13.77 ฿448

140.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.65

$1.34 ฿43.79

-12.69%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

2.60%

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

$22.2K A$31.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-34.41%

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

$147 A$208

$124 ฿4,025

19.06%

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

$25.52 A$36.06

$13.52 ฿440

88.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.15 A$65.2

$18.69 ฿609

146.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.30 A$68.2

$61.8 ฿2,013

-21.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$22.32

$17.25 ฿562

-8.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 A$15.43

$9.14 ฿298

19.47%

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

$642 A$908

$703 ฿22.9K

-8.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,876 A$4,063

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-81.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 A$99.3

$59.5 ฿1,937

18.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 A$62.8

$35.07 ฿1,142

26.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 A$133

$115 ฿3,754

-18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$145

$84.1 ฿2,737

21.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 A$1,785

$619 ฿20.1K

104.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 A$1,522

$433 ฿14.1K

149.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 A$2,871

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 A$2,356

$1,511 ฿49.2K

10.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,946 A$9,814

$3,646 ฿118.7K

90.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,967 A$8,431

$2,626 ฿85.5K

127.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 A$3,501

$507 ฿16.5K

388.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.33

17.07%

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

Last update for Grafton: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in Grafton and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 389% 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: $71.0 in Grafton vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $293 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 67% in total monthly costs ($2,107 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Grafton pays 389% more on average, 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: $1,263 in Grafton versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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 $47.00 versus $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,107 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 67% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.