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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,346 per month in Karratha vs $1,270 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,405 per month in Karratha vs $2,304 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,464 per month in Karratha vs $3,339 in Phuket, rent included.

Karratha costs about 85% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 75% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.30 A$38.22

$4.66 ฿150

485.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$111

$46.44 ฿1,496

71.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 A$12.68

$8.68 ฿280

4.38%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.12

$2.95 ฿95.0

23.73%

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

$3.13 A$4.39

$0.70 ฿22.52

347.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.10

$0.39 ฿12.70

466.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 A$8.98

$2.53 ฿81.6

153.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 A$10.00

$3.78 ฿122

89.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.08

$2.22 ฿71.5

-32.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.36

$1.80 ฿57.8

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.81

$2.19 ฿70.4

-8.22%

Eggs

$4.27 A$5.98

$2.31 ฿74.5

84.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 A$11.88

$19.34 ฿623

-56.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.61

$3.77 ฿121

119.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 A$18.81

$13.22 ฿426

1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.59

$3.33 ฿107

-1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$3.99

$1.65 ฿53.1

72.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.22

$2.29 ฿73.7

31.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 A$5.74

$1.99 ฿64.1

106.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.42

$1.53 ฿49.24

59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.96

$1.51 ฿48.77

40.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.94

$1.03 ฿33.12

103.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 A$2.16

$0.51 ฿16.57

201.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.97 A$43.36

$4.41 ฿142

602.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$20.26

$19.41 ฿625

-25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.26

$1.80 ฿58.0

148.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.43

$2.68 ฿86.4

98.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.72

$1.43 ฿46.11

86.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 A$91.3

$11.70 ฿377

457.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.88

$3.04 ฿97.9

14.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.15

$1.04 ฿33.37

47.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.11 A$46.35

$13.68 ฿441

142.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$1.30 ฿41.85

-13.08%

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

$28.6K A$40.1K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

2.61%

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

$22.8K A$32.0K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-30.85%

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

$186 A$260

$123 ฿3,962

51.26%

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

$27.63 A$38.68

$13.82 ฿445

99.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$72.6

$18.86 ฿608

174.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.66 A$69.5

$61.2 ฿1,970

-18.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 A$22.09

$16.81 ฿541

-6.13%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 A$17.92

$8.87 ฿286

44.31%

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

$1,632 A$2,285

$696 ฿22.4K

134.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-26.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$93.9

$59.3 ฿1,910

13.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 A$70.4

$34.85 ฿1,123

44.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 A$138

$113 ฿3,646

-12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$85.1 ฿2,740

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 A$1,782

$615 ฿19.8K

106.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 A$1,491

$448 ฿14.4K

137.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 A$2,852

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 A$2,324

$1,496 ฿48.2K

10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,335 A$7,468

$3,734 ฿120.3K

42.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,722 A$6,611

$2,662 ฿85.8K

77.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 Karratha: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,273 in Karratha versus $615 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 $79 in Karratha versus $46 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $291 – 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: $2,346 in Karratha, $1,270 in Phuket – roughly 85% apart. Karratha costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,519 per month in Karratha and $1,904 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 $2,346 in Karratha and $1,270 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 457% 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 $1,270, than in Karratha at $2,346. 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 $1,270 in Phuket to $2,346 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.