Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Launceston, Australia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,039 in Launceston, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Launceston
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Launceston Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Launceston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,039

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,039 in Launceston versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Launceston $2,039
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,913 in Launceston versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Launceston $2,913
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,786 in Launceston versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Launceston $3,786
Phuket $3,154

Living in Launceston is roughly 60% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Launceston is 50% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.58

$4.47 ฿151

288.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 A$105

$32.41 ฿1,092

129.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 A$11.66

$8.81 ฿297

-6.58%

Cappuccino

$3.37 A$4.78

$2.83 ฿95.3

19.08%

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

$1.38 A$1.96

$0.87 ฿29.37

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.21

$0.49 ฿16.64

363.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.17

$2.56 ฿86.2

152.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 A$10.11

$3.68 ฿124

94.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 A$2.67

$1.66 ฿55.9

13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.60

$1.46 ฿49.25

73.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 A$1.74

$1.50 ฿50.4

-18.00%

Eggs

$3.70 A$5.25

$2.09 ฿70.4

77.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 A$14.19

$19.07 ฿642

-47.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 A$11.80

$3.30 ฿111

152.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 A$14.60

$10.91 ฿368

-5.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.05

$2.93 ฿98.7

-2.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.06

$1.69 ฿56.9

69.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.88

$2.25 ฿75.7

21.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 A$6.72

$2.08 ฿70.0

127.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.89

$1.51 ฿50.9

35.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.38 ฿46.47

0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.62

$1.07 ฿35.91

139.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 A$0.76

$0.52 ฿17.49

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.28 A$51.4

$4.20 ฿142

763.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$20.50

$18.79 ฿633

-22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.10 A$7.22

$1.82 ฿61.4

180.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 A$7.69

$2.84 ฿95.7

91.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 A$4.99

$1.45 ฿48.93

142.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 A$78.9

$56.7 ฿1,909

-1.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 A$6.35

$3.02 ฿102

48.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 A$2.93

$1.02 ฿34.29

102.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.53 A$58.8

$3.69 ฿124

1025.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.81

$1.47 ฿49.70

-12.93%

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

$28.1K A$39.8K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

4.87%

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

$33.4K A$47.3K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

25.18%

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

$226 A$320

$96.4 ฿3,247

134.65%

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

$29.09 A$41.21

$11.26 ฿380

158.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 A$76.3

$16.85 ฿568

219.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.45 A$70.1

$67.2 ฿2,266

-26.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 A$24.02

$7.50 ฿253

126.13%

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

$1,996 A$2,828

$476 ฿16.0K

319.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$29.7K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

86.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$109

$62.4 ฿2,102

23.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$76.2

$28.41 ฿957

89.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$148

$94.3 ฿3,178

10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$177

$85.8 ฿2,892

45.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 A$1,638

$716 ฿24.1K

61.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 A$1,149

$491 ฿16.5K

65.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 A$2,289

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-16.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 A$1,575

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-22.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,644 A$9,413

$502 ฿16.9K

1222.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Launceston: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Launceston

$811 39.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 39.5% $320

Groceries & Markets

Launceston

$324 15.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 17.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Launceston

$309 15.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 59.7% $185

Eating Out

Launceston

$265 13%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 54.1% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Launceston

$162 7.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 24.8% $40

Getting Around

Launceston

$85 4.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 16.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Launceston

$83 4.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 1.4% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,156 in Launceston and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays about 13 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Launceston vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Launceston

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

08:22 8:22 AM

4 h behind Launceston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,943

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.634 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Launceston Phuket 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Launceston vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 37% 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.

Average pay in Launceston is about 13 times higher, 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: $1,156 in Launceston versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Launceston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,039 per month in Launceston versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,039 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Launceston and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Launceston on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.