Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalgoorlie and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalgoorlie and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,760 in Kalgoorlie versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,038 in Kalgoorlie versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,315 in Kalgoorlie versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Kalgoorlie is roughly 39% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kalgoorlie is 32% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 A$23.10

$4.48 ฿150

263.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 A$109

$45.59 ฿1,521

69.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 A$13.72

$8.76 ฿292

10.39%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.11

$2.97 ฿99.0

44.78%

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

$3.51 A$4.98

$0.69 ฿22.90

408.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 A$4.72

$0.39 ฿13.04

753.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 A$8.54

$2.53 ฿84.4

137.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.84

$3.75 ฿125

85.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.10

$2.15 ฿71.6

-31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.66

$1.82 ฿60.6

80.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.78

$2.18 ฿72.9

-10.09%

Eggs

$3.98 A$5.65

$2.25 ฿75.0

76.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 A$12.02

$20.00 ฿667

-57.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 A$11.64

$3.63 ฿121

125.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.58 A$19.27

$13.56 ฿452

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.74

$3.24 ฿108

3.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$1.64 ฿54.6

66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$2.33 ฿77.8

24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.91

$2.07 ฿69.1

101.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.45

$1.55 ฿51.6

56.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.11

$1.46 ฿48.54

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 A$2.70

$0.98 ฿32.86

93.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.22

$0.48 ฿16.09

225.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.11 A$44.14

$4.35 ฿145

615.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.74

$18.57 ฿620

-25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 A$6.54

$1.86 ฿61.9

147.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 A$7.46

$2.65 ฿88.6

98.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 A$3.60

$1.42 ฿47.28

78.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 A$91.9

$11.57 ฿386

459.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.21

$3.17 ฿106

15.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.03 ฿34.41

57.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.51 A$47.55

$13.89 ฿463

141.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.79

$1.34 ฿44.84

-5.97%

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

$28.5K A$40.4K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

2.44%

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

$22.9K A$32.5K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-31.48%

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

$287 A$407

$123 ฿4,105

133.35%

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

$51.0 A$72.4

$13.77 ฿459

270.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$91.9

$18.33 ฿611

253.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.22 A$49.97

$60.7 ฿2,025

-41.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.69 A$22.26

$17.16 ฿573

-8.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 A$23.11

$8.87 ฿296

83.65%

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

$1,645 A$2,334

$688 ฿22.9K

139.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.1K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-23.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 A$96.5

$59.3 ฿1,978

14.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 A$71.1

$34.69 ฿1,157

44.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 A$139

$115 ฿3,843

-14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$151

$83.8 ฿2,794

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 A$1,775

$621 ฿20.7K

101.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 A$654

$446 ฿14.9K

3.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 A$2,242

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 A$2,056

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-3.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,961 A$8,458

$3,455 ฿115.3K

72.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,057 A$7,175

$2,531 ฿84.4K

99.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,041 A$8,571

$494 ฿16.5K

1123.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

5.33

18.95%

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

Last update for Kalgoorlie: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Kalgoorlie and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalgoorlie pays 1124% 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: $77.0 in Kalgoorlie vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $291 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

Kalgoorlie vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Kalgoorlie. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1124% higher in Kalgoorlie, 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: $1,251 in Kalgoorlie versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 460% less than in Kalgoorlie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,645 in Kalgoorlie versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,760 in Kalgoorlie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kalgoorlie. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kalgoorlie 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 39% less than in Kalgoorlie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.