Cost of Living Comparison Between Launceston and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Launceston and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,066 in Launceston versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,928 in Launceston versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,791 in Launceston versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Launceston is roughly 64% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Launceston is 54% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.36 A$23.12

$4.56 ฿149

258.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 A$96.4

$46.63 ฿1,519

46.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 A$11.34

$8.47 ฿276

-5.19%

Cappuccino

$3.13 A$4.42

$3.03 ฿98.6

3.30%

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

$1.28 A$1.81

$0.69 ฿22.45

85.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 A$2.52

$0.37 ฿11.92

381.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 A$8.03

$2.49 ฿81.0

128.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 A$9.35

$3.66 ฿119

80.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.36

$2.18 ฿71.0

-23.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 A$2.54

$1.90 ฿62.0

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 A$2.40

$2.20 ฿71.6

-22.73%

Eggs

$2.95 A$4.17

$2.22 ฿72.4

32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 A$15.68

$19.99 ฿651

-44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.40

$3.66 ฿119

139.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.26 A$22.97

$13.25 ฿432

22.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.45

$3.23 ฿105

-2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.35

$1.70 ฿55.3

81.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.65

$2.39 ฿78.0

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 A$6.64

$2.08 ฿67.7

125.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.09

$1.59 ฿51.8

81.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.21

$1.48 ฿48.31

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 A$3.91

$1.03 ฿33.54

168.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.80

$0.52 ฿16.83

280.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.59 A$34.75

$4.25 ฿138

478.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.51 A$20.51

$18.79 ฿612

-22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.46

$1.76 ฿57.2

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 A$7.78

$2.76 ฿89.8

99.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.63

$1.36 ฿44.32

141.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 A$73.3

$11.36 ฿370

356.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 A$6.14

$3.14 ฿102

38.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.56

$1.04 ฿33.74

74.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.73 A$40.60

$13.77 ฿448

108.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.34 ฿43.79

-14.18%

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

$29.2K A$41.3K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

5.53%

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

$27.8K A$39.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-18.03%

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

$270 A$382

$124 ฿4,025

118.56%

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

$30.25 A$42.74

$13.52 ฿440

123.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 A$71.5

$18.69 ฿609

170.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.14 A$68.0

$61.8 ฿2,013

-22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.47 A$21.86

$17.25 ฿562

-10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.63

$9.14 ฿298

75.27%

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

$1,719 A$2,429

$703 ฿22.9K

144.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

78.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 A$92.3

$59.5 ฿1,937

9.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 A$74.8

$35.07 ฿1,142

51.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$155

$115 ฿3,754

-4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$160

$84.1 ฿2,737

34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,521

$619 ฿20.1K

73.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 A$1,055

$433 ฿14.1K

72.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 A$1,748

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-40.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 A$1,498

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-29.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,335 A$7,538

$507 ฿16.5K

952.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.33

21.95%

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

Last update for Launceston: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Launceston and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays 952% 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: $68.0 in Launceston vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 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

Launceston vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Launceston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Launceston pays 952% 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: $1,076 in Launceston versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $68.0 in Launceston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,066 per month in Launceston versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,066 in Launceston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Launceston. 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 $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Launceston 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 64% less than in Launceston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.