Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,750 per month in Karratha vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,929 per month in Karratha vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,109 per month in Karratha vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Karratha costs about 117% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 99% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 A$42.73

$4.66 ฿153

562.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.4 A$120

$32.22 ฿1,059

168.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 A$14.05

$8.68 ฿285

16.94%

Cappuccino

$4.08 A$5.64

$2.90 ฿95.3

40.69%

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

$3.40 A$4.70

$0.84 ฿27.75

304.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.57

$0.49 ฿16.08

426.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 A$11.19

$2.48 ฿81.6

225.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 A$10.21

$3.73 ฿123

97.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.35

$1.89 ฿62.0

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$3.86

$1.41 ฿46.31

97.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.21

$1.62 ฿53.3

43.21%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.16

$2.24 ฿73.7

130.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 A$12.99

$19.84 ฿652

-52.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 A$13.41

$3.48 ฿114

178.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$20.57

$11.37 ฿374

30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 A$4.96

$2.90 ฿95.3

23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.41

$1.72 ฿56.7

85.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.70

$2.27 ฿74.7

49.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.59

$2.13 ฿70.1

123.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.65

$1.47 ฿48.49

79.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.35

$1.42 ฿46.69

70.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.37

$1.10 ฿36.08

120.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.23

$0.60 ฿19.66

168.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.80 A$55.1

$4.31 ฿142

823.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 A$19.91

$18.60 ฿612

-22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.02 A$6.95

$1.80 ฿59.2

178.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.32

$2.97 ฿97.5

78.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 A$4.37

$2.25 ฿73.8

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 A$121

$23.49 ฿772

272.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.05

$3.10 ฿102

17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.24

$1.08 ฿35.39

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.59 A$56.2

$3.87 ฿127

948.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.74

$1.43 ฿46.93

-11.89%

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

$28.5K A$39.5K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

2.61%

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

$31.4K A$43.4K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

16.19%

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

$210 A$291

$105 ฿3,446

100.68%

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

$28.18 A$39.01

$11.39 ฿375

147.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 A$80.6

$17.54 ฿577

231.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 A$80.9

$54.3 ฿1,787

7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 A$25.83

$11.44 ฿376

63.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.66 A$21.69

$7.78 ฿256

101.29%

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

$2,193 A$3,037

$576 ฿19.0K

280.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$29.4K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

83.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$110

$63.6 ฿2,092

24.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 A$76.4

$29.10 ฿957

89.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$156

$96.2 ฿3,164

16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$174

$90.0 ฿2,960

39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 A$2,050

$733 ฿24.1K

101.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 A$1,795

$501 ฿16.5K

158.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 A$3,124

$2,126 ฿69.9K

6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 A$2,559

$1,252 ฿41.2K

47.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,761 A$9,361

$3,534 ฿116.2K

91.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,120 A$7,089

$2,622 ฿86.2K

95.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

5.57

5.03%

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

Last update for Karratha: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,481 in Karratha versus $733 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Karratha versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Karratha vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,750 in Karratha, $1,265 in Phuket – roughly 117% apart. Karratha costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,124 per month in Karratha and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,750 in Karratha and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 273% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Karratha at $2,750. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karratha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,265 in Phuket to $2,750 in Karratha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karratha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.