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: $2,067 in Launceston versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,936 in Launceston versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,805 in Launceston versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Launceston is roughly 63% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Launceston is 55% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.16 A$23.21

$4.48 ฿150

260.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 A$96.8

$45.59 ฿1,525

47.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 A$11.30

$8.76 ฿293

-10.16%

Cappuccino

$3.14 A$4.51

$2.97 ฿99.3

5.72%

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

$1.27 A$1.83

$0.69 ฿22.96

84.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 A$2.65

$0.39 ฿13.07

374.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 A$8.46

$2.53 ฿84.7

132.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 A$9.20

$3.75 ฿125

70.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$2.15 ฿71.8

-22.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 A$2.70

$1.82 ฿60.7

3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 A$2.47

$2.18 ฿73.1

-21.10%

Eggs

$2.91 A$4.18

$2.25 ฿75.2

29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 A$15.53

$20.00 ฿669

-45.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 A$13.05

$3.63 ฿121

150.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.67

$13.56 ฿453

21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$3.24 ฿109

-2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.57

$1.64 ฿54.7

93.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.76

$2.33 ฿78.0

42.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 A$6.66

$2.07 ฿69.3

124.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.15

$1.55 ฿51.8

86.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.18

$1.46 ฿48.67

52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 A$3.97

$0.98 ฿32.94

181.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.85

$0.48 ฿16.13

312.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.64 A$35.39

$4.35 ฿146

466.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 A$21.02

$18.57 ฿621

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.77

$1.86 ฿62.1

190.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 A$7.72

$2.65 ฿88.8

103.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 A$4.69

$1.42 ฿47.40

129.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 A$74.3

$11.57 ฿387

347.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 A$6.17

$3.17 ฿106

35.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 A$2.61

$1.03 ฿34.51

76.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.87 A$41.46

$13.89 ฿465

107.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.34 ฿44.96

-11.19%

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

$29.3K A$42.1K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

5.52%

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

$26.9K A$38.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-19.32%

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

$277 A$397

$123 ฿4,116

124.82%

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

$29.11 A$41.81

$13.77 ฿461

111.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 A$73.2

$18.33 ฿613

178.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.21 A$70.7

$60.7 ฿2,030

-18.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 A$22.83

$17.16 ฿574

-7.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.20 A$23.28

$8.87 ฿297

82.64%

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

$1,683 A$2,417

$688 ฿23.0K

144.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K A$39.5K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

74.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 A$94.1

$59.3 ฿1,984

10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$77.5

$34.69 ฿1,160

55.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$115 ฿3,853

-7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$159

$83.8 ฿2,802

32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 A$1,505

$621 ฿20.8K

68.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 A$1,083

$446 ฿14.9K

68.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 A$1,807

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-38.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 A$1,497

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-30.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,250 A$7,541

$494 ฿16.5K

963.61%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,048 in Launceston and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays 964% 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: $67.0 in Launceston vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 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

Launceston vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 63% 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 runs 964% higher in Launceston, 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: $1,048 in Launceston versus $621 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 $46.00 versus $67.0 in Launceston. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,067 per month in Launceston versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,067 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 $1,264 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 63% less than in Launceston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.