Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Perth versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Perth versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,504 in Perth versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Perth is roughly 80% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Perth is 70% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.01

$4.66 ฿150

252.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$111

$46.44 ฿1,490

71.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 A$14.71

$8.68 ฿278

21.08%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.11

$2.95 ฿94.6

23.73%

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

$2.59 A$3.62

$0.70 ฿22.43

270.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.77

$0.39 ฿12.65

407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.08

$2.53 ฿81.3

212.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 A$8.87

$3.78 ฿121

67.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.05

$2.22 ฿71.2

-34.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.27

$1.80 ฿57.6

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$2.19 ฿70.1

-8.22%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.27

$2.31 ฿74.2

93.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 A$11.64

$19.34 ฿621

-56.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$3.77 ฿121

121.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 A$19.41

$13.22 ฿424

4.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.79

$3.33 ฿107

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.22

$1.65 ฿52.9

82.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.11

$2.29 ฿73.4

27.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.55

$1.99 ฿63.8

135.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.53 ฿49.04

64.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.52

$1.51 ฿48.57

19.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 A$2.79

$1.03 ฿32.98

93.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 A$2.05

$0.51 ฿16.50

186.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.67 A$44.34

$4.41 ฿141

618.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 A$14.96

$19.41 ฿623

-44.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 A$5.34

$1.80 ฿57.7

112.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 A$5.87

$2.68 ฿86.0

56.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.26

$1.43 ฿45.93

112.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 A$101

$11.70 ฿375

516.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 A$5.61

$3.04 ฿97.5

31.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 A$3.13

$1.04 ฿33.24

114.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.44 A$69.2

$13.68 ฿439

261.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.63

$1.30 ฿41.68

-10.77%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$27.9K ฿895.3K

4.86%

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

$23.9K A$33.5K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-27.52%

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

$157 A$220

$123 ฿3,946

28.01%

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

$27.62 A$38.67

$13.82 ฿443

99.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 A$77.8

$18.86 ฿605

194.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 A$57.7

$61.2 ฿1,962

-32.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.20

$16.81 ฿539

-5.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 A$22.96

$8.87 ฿285

84.89%

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

$1,792 A$2,509

$696 ฿22.3K

157.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.7K

$16.1K ฿515.3K

-25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$98.4

$59.3 ฿1,902

18.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 A$67.6

$34.85 ฿1,118

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$113 ฿3,632

-10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$150

$85.1 ฿2,729

25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 A$2,104

$615 ฿19.8K

144.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 A$1,612

$448 ฿14.4K

156.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,528

$2,085 ฿66.9K

20.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 A$2,546

$1,496 ฿48.0K

21.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 A$9,070

$3,734 ฿119.8K

73.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,911 A$6,875

$2,662 ฿85.4K

84.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,214 A$5,900

$534 ฿17.1K

689.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

5.33

20.45%

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

Last update for Perth: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,503 in Perth and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 690% 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: $79 in Perth vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 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

Perth 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 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Perth pays 690% 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: $1,503 in Perth versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 516% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,792 in Perth versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,281 in Perth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Perth. 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 Perth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Perth 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 80% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.