Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hobart and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,733 in Hobart, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hobart
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,733
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,733 per month in Hobart vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Hobart $2,733
  • Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,695 per month in Hobart vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Hobart $3,695
  • Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Hobart vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Hobart $4,657
  • Phuket $2,845

Hobart costs about 126% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hobart sits 102% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.35 A$26.41
$4.40 ฿147
317.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$92.5 A$133
$32.26 ฿1,078
186.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.44 A$15.02
$8.76 ฿293
19.18%
Cappuccino
$3.94 A$5.67
$2.83 ฿94.5
39.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 A$4.92
$0.90 ฿30.14
280.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 A$3.12
$0.47 ฿15.56
361.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.18 A$11.77
$2.55 ฿85.2
220.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.29 A$13.37
$3.83 ฿128
142.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 A$2.57
$1.73 ฿57.7
3.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.43 A$3.50
$1.47 ฿49.11
65.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 A$2.71
$1.51 ฿50.6
24.50%
Eggs
$5.39 A$7.75
$2.17 ฿72.7
148.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.53 A$13.71
$19.70 ฿658
-51.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.84 A$12.71
$3.34 ฿112
164.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.77 A$25.57
$11.16 ฿373
59.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.58
$2.85 ฿95.1
11.58%
Banana (1kg)
$3.34 A$4.80
$1.70 ฿56.9
96.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 A$4.26
$2.19 ฿73.3
35.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.66 A$6.71
$2.05 ฿68.4
127.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.59 A$3.73
$1.45 ฿48.57
78.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 A$3.08
$1.38 ฿46.16
55.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 A$3.82
$1.07 ฿35.69
147.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 A$2.44
$0.51 ฿16.91
231.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$36.85 A$53.0
$4.26 ฿142
765.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 A$21.19
$18.58 ฿621
-20.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.98 A$7.16
$1.78 ฿59.7
179.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 A$7.72
$2.85 ฿95.2
88.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 A$4.39
$2.26 ฿75.6
34.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.9 A$141
$22.10 ฿738
342.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.64 A$6.67
$3.01 ฿101
54.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.08 A$2.99
$1.06 ฿35.34
96.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.36 A$59.5
$3.86 ฿129
971.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 A$1.95
$1.45 ฿48.45
-6.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K A$40.8K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
7.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K A$48.6K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
25.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 A$321
$96.4 ฿3,221
131.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.52 A$41.04
$11.04 ฿369
158.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.8 A$86.1
$17.14 ฿573
249.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.82 A$53.0
$52.2 ฿1,744
-29.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.00 A$18.70
$11.16 ฿373
16.49%
Cinema Ticket
$16.63 A$23.93
$7.81 ฿261
112.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,976 A$2,843
$556 ฿18.6K
255.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.6K A$29.6K
$11.6K ฿387.0K
77.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.1 A$110
$64.2 ฿2,146
18.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 A$78.1
$28.69 ฿959
89.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 A$149
$95.4 ฿3,187
8.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 A$181
$88.0 ฿2,940
43.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,836 A$2,642
$737 ฿24.6K
149.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,382 A$1,988
$462 ฿15.5K
198.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,156 A$3,103
$2,095 ฿70.0K
2.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,617 A$2,326
$1,201 ฿40.1K
34.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,379 A$13.5K
$3,488 ฿116.6K
168.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,772 A$9,744
$2,523 ฿84.3K
168.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hobart
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,024 A$5,790
$501 ฿16.7K
703.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.2
5.57
11.31%

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

Last update for Hobart: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hobart
$1.4K
Phuket
$462 66.5% $919
Groceries & Markets
Hobart
$376
Phuket
$269 28.6% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hobart
$311
Phuket
$125 60% $187
Eating Out
Hobart
$307
Phuket
$121 60.5% $186
Clothing & Footwear
Hobart
$162
Phuket
$124 23.3% $38
Getting Around
Hobart
$125
Phuket
$39 68.5% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Hobart
$70
Phuket
$68 3.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,836 in Hobart versus $737 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 704% higher in Hobart, 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 $92.0 in Hobart versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Hobart
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
12:00 12:00 PM
08:00 8:00 AM
4 h behind Hobart
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
197,451
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hobart Phuket 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hobart
  • 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
Hobart vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hobart or Phuket?
Hobart costs about 126% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hobart and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,100 per month in Hobart and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hobart or Phuket?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Hobart or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 40% more in Hobart, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Hobart and in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Hobart and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Hobart or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Hobart at $2,733. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hobart it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hobart or Phuket?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $2,733 in Hobart. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Hobart compared to Phuket?
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.
Should I move to Hobart or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hobart makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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