Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,209 in Mackay, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,209 per month in Mackay vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Mackay $2,209
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,489 per month in Mackay vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Mackay $3,489
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,769 per month in Mackay vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Mackay $4,769
Phuket $3,154

Mackay costs about 73% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mackay sits 62% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.50

$4.47 ฿151

285.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$32.41 ฿1,094

133.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.67

$8.81 ฿297

40.98%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.12

$2.83 ฿95.4

51.94%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$0.87 ฿29.42

289.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$0.49 ฿16.66

459.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.91

$2.56 ฿86.3

172.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.77

$3.68 ฿124

86.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.71

$1.66 ฿56.0

14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$1.46 ฿49.32

71.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.02

$1.50 ฿50.5

88.00%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.56

$2.09 ฿70.5

188.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.80

$19.07 ฿643

-49.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.13

$3.30 ฿111

158.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.40

$10.91 ฿368

50.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.25

$2.93 ฿98.9

25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.69 ฿57.0

68.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$2.25 ฿75.8

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.56

$2.08 ฿70.1

223.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.51 ฿51.0

67.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$1.38 ฿46.54

85.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$1.07 ฿35.97

202.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$0.52 ฿17.51

498.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.9

$4.20 ฿142

953.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.28

$18.79 ฿634

-54.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.46

$1.82 ฿61.5

187.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.60

$2.84 ฿95.9

113.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.45 ฿49.00

66.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.9

$56.7 ฿1,912

21.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.36

$3.02 ฿102

94.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.93

$1.02 ฿34.34

101.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.2

$3.69 ฿125

856.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.47 ฿49.78

-13.61%

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

$27.1K A$38.6K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

1.30%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

32.79%

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

$235 A$334

$96.4 ฿3,252

143.69%

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

$29.32 A$41.70

$11.26 ฿380

160.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$16.85 ฿569

368.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$67.2 ฿2,269

-22.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.07

$10.73 ฿362

97.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.40

$7.50 ฿253

119.47%

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

$1,860 A$2,645

$476 ฿16.1K

290.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,596

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-40.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$62.4 ฿2,105

13.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$28.41 ฿959

75.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$175

$94.3 ฿3,182

30.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$85.8 ฿2,896

22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,360

$716 ฿24.2K

33.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,180

$491 ฿16.6K

68.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,707

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-1.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,530

$1,431 ฿48.3K

24.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,430

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-25.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,508

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-42.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,846

$502 ฿17.0K

998.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.57

1.08%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 40.8% $338

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 33.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 63.7% $219

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 59.4% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.4% $35

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 25.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 3.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Mackay versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mackay are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:59 5:59 PM

14:59 2:59 PM

3 h behind Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

79,308

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mackay Phuket 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Phuket

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

Mackay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mackay is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,314 per month in Mackay and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $956 in Mackay.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Mackay, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Mackay at $2,209. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mackay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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