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: $2,294 in Perth versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,344 in Perth versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,394 in Perth versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Perth is roughly 81% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Perth is 71% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 A$23.35

$4.70 ฿154

250.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 A$111

$45.37 ฿1,488

72.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$15.02

$8.43 ฿276

25.62%

Cappuccino

$3.70 A$5.25

$2.93 ฿96.0

26.28%

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

$2.48 A$3.52

$0.69 ฿22.48

259.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.81

$0.37 ฿12.04

435.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.14

$2.41 ฿79.0

225.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 A$9.49

$3.72 ฿122

79.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 A$1.99

$2.23 ฿73.2

-37.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 A$3.49

$1.83 ฿60.1

34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.78

$2.17 ฿71.1

-9.68%

Eggs

$4.53 A$6.43

$2.21 ฿72.6

104.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 A$12.34

$19.74 ฿647

-55.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.13

$3.63 ฿119

135.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.85

$13.53 ฿444

3.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.87

$3.28 ฿107

4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

$1.61 ฿52.8

80.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.20

$2.41 ฿79.0

22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 A$6.73

$2.08 ฿68.3

127.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$1.53 ฿50.1

56.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 A$2.51

$1.48 ฿48.56

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 A$2.84

$0.99 ฿32.42

102.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.15

$0.51 ฿16.73

198.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.13 A$45.58

$4.41 ฿144

628.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 A$18.51

$19.38 ฿636

-32.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 A$5.56

$1.78 ฿58.3

120.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 A$5.86

$2.71 ฿88.9

52.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 A$4.22

$1.37 ฿44.96

116.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 A$103

$11.39 ฿374

536.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 A$5.70

$3.02 ฿99.0

33.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 A$3.01

$0.99 ฿32.61

114.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.71 A$69.1

$14.10 ฿462

245.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.59

$1.36 ฿44.68

-17.65%

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

$28.7K A$40.7K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

1.79%

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

$24.1K A$34.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.79%

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

$156 A$222

$122 ฿3,991

28.44%

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

$28.43 A$40.33

$13.57 ฿445

109.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$80.1

$18.31 ฿600

208.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.39 A$58.7

$60.2 ฿1,975

-31.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.53 A$22.03

$17.14 ฿562

-9.39%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 A$23.03

$8.69 ฿285

86.77%

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

$1,810 A$2,567

$693 ฿22.7K

161.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.7K

$15.7K ฿514.4K

-24.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$98.7

$59.5 ฿1,952

16.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 A$69.4

$34.77 ฿1,140

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$115 ฿3,758

-10.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$149

$83.3 ฿2,731

26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 A$2,156

$613 ฿20.1K

147.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 A$1,610

$437 ฿14.3K

159.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 A$3,583

$2,094 ฿68.7K

20.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,810 A$2,568

$1,509 ฿49.5K

19.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,858 A$9,728

$3,749 ฿122.9K

82.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,398 A$7,657

$2,616 ฿85.8K

106.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,340 A$6,157

$508 ฿16.7K

754.22%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Perth and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 754% 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: $78.0 in Perth vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 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

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 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Perth pays 754% 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: $1,520 in Perth versus $613 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 536% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,810 in Perth versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,294 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 81% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.