Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne, AR and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne, AR and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Melbourne, AR versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in Melbourne, AR versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,055 in Melbourne, AR versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Melbourne, AR is roughly 106% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne, AR is 94% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 $22.12

$4.70 ฿154

370.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 $84.3

$45.37 ฿1,483

85.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$8.43 ฿276

32.38%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$2.93 ฿95.7

90.10%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$0.69 ฿22.42

292.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.37 ฿12.00

491.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.41 ฿78.7

141.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.72 ฿122

78.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.23 ฿73.0

-50.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.83 ฿59.9

69.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.17 ฿70.9

206.91%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.21 ฿72.4

120.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.19 $18.19

$19.74 ฿645

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.38 $16.38

$3.63 ฿119

351.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$13.53 ฿442

20.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.28 ฿107

39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.61 ฿52.7

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.41 ฿78.7

44.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.08 ฿68.1

28.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.53 ฿49.97

56.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.48 ฿48.41

77.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.99 ฿32.32

89.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.51 ฿16.68

441.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$4.41 ฿144

123.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 $19.27

$19.38 ฿634

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.78 ฿58.1

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.71 ฿88.7

16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.37 ฿44.83

48.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.02 ฿98.7

12.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.99 ฿32.51

40.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$14.10 ฿461

110.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.36 ฿44.55

-44.12%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

10.92%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

1.66%

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

$196 $196

$122 ฿3,978

60.92%

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

$47.58 $47.58

$13.57 ฿444

250.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$18.31 ฿599

264.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.55 $42.55

$60.2 ฿1,969

-29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$8.69 ฿284

70.31%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$693 ฿22.7K

84.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.98 $46.98

$59.5 ฿1,946

-21.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 $38.50

$34.77 ฿1,137

10.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 $67.9

$115 ฿3,746

-40.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 $68.7

$83.3 ฿2,723

-17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$613 ฿20.0K

162.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$437 ฿14.3K

206.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$2,094 ฿68.5K

27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,509 ฿49.3K

45.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,288 $2,288

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-38.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,412 $2,412

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-7.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.33

23.08%

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

Last update for Melbourne, AR: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Melbourne, AR and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Melbourne, AR vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 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

Melbourne, AR vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in Melbourne, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,908 in Melbourne, AR and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,611 in Melbourne, AR versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,282 in Melbourne, AR versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $84.0 in Melbourne, AR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,605 in Melbourne, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Melbourne, AR. 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 $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Melbourne, AR 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 106% less than in Melbourne, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.