Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Victoria and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Victoria and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,317 in Mount Victoria versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,418 in Mount Victoria versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,519 in Mount Victoria versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Mount Victoria is roughly 88% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mount Victoria is 73% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.54 A$23.16

$4.63 ฿151

257.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 A$125

$46.84 ฿1,532

90.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 A$13.56

$8.84 ฿289

9.62%

Cappuccino

$3.32 A$4.64

$3.00 ฿98.0

10.67%

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

$2.66 A$3.73

$0.74 ฿24.25

259.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.21

$0.37 ฿11.95

518.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.83

$2.44 ฿79.8

158.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 A$10.38

$3.61 ฿118

105.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.89

$2.26 ฿73.9

-40.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.67

$1.84 ฿60.1

42.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 A$2.58

$2.24 ฿73.4

-17.41%

Eggs

$4.10 A$5.74

$2.32 ฿75.7

76.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 A$13.83

$19.67 ฿643

-49.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 A$12.33

$3.65 ฿119

141.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.87 A$20.81

$13.10 ฿428

13.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 A$4.70

$3.39 ฿111

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.04

$1.64 ฿53.7

76.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$2.41 ฿79.0

22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.55

$2.03 ฿66.4

130.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.22

$1.56 ฿50.9

47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.02

$1.50 ฿48.94

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.31

$1.02 ฿33.50

132.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 A$1.79

$0.49 ฿16.00

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.36 A$42.50

$4.45 ฿145

582.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 A$20.64

$18.88 ฿617

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.33

$1.78 ฿58.1

194.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.29

$2.75 ฿90.1

115.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.74

$1.40 ฿45.81

90.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 A$91.3

$11.48 ฿376

467.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 A$5.56

$3.12 ฿102

27.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$1.00 ฿32.67

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.05 A$56.1

$14.09 ฿461

184.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.60

$1.35 ฿44.19

-15.56%

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

$29.0K A$40.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

6.74%

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

$23.3K A$32.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-29.11%

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

$221 A$310

$125 ฿4,087

77.17%

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

$29.96 A$41.94

$13.57 ฿444

120.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$74.3

$18.52 ฿606

186.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.11 A$68.8

$61.5 ฿2,010

-20.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 A$22.32

$16.84 ฿551

-5.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.49 A$18.89

$9.19 ฿300

46.79%

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

$1,769 A$2,476

$698 ฿22.8K

153.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K A$18.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-15.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 A$98.9

$57.8 ฿1,889

22.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$80.3

$35.24 ฿1,152

62.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 A$135

$113 ฿3,699

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 A$163

$86.4 ฿2,825

34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 A$1,800

$616 ฿20.1K

108.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 A$1,477

$446 ฿14.6K

136.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 A$2,824

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 A$2,334

$1,492 ฿48.8K

11.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,655 A$9,316

$3,779 ฿123.6K

76.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,629 A$7,880

$2,649 ฿86.6K

112.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,368 A$6,115

$524 ฿17.1K

733.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

5.33

18.01%

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

Last update for Mount Victoria: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,286 in Mount Victoria and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Victoria pays 734% 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: $89.0 in Mount Victoria vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $292 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

Mount Victoria vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mount Victoria pays 734% 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: $1,286 in Mount Victoria versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,317 per month in Mount Victoria versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 468% less than in Mount Victoria. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,317 in Mount Victoria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mount Victoria. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mount Victoria, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mount Victoria 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 88% less than in Mount Victoria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.