Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Albury Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Albury

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Albury.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,700 in Albury.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,611 in Albury.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Albury, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Albury is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$16.55 A$23.38

-72.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$86.2 A$122

-45.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.60 A$13.56

-11.77%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.42 A$4.83

-11.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.65 A$3.74

-73.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.31 A$3.26

-83.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$6.63 A$9.37

-62.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.64 A$9.38

-44.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.36 A$1.92

60.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.69 A$3.80

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.82 A$2.58

20.88%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.17 A$5.89

-46.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.84 A$11.08

154.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.91 A$12.59

-58.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.54 A$16.30

14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.15 A$4.45

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.82 A$3.99

-39.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.10 A$4.38

-22.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.83 A$6.83

-56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.36 A$3.34

-32.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.93 A$2.73

-23.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.09 A$2.95

-50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.32 A$1.87

-60.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$23.34 A$32.98

-81.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$14.88 A$21.02

26.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$4.07 A$5.75

-56.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$5.66 A$7.99

-51.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.67 A$3.77

-49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$67.0 A$94.6

-83.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.29 A$4.65

-4.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.69 A$2.39

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$39.46 A$55.8

-65.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.18 A$1.67

13.56%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$29.4K A$41.6K

-5.92%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$23.3K A$32.9K

45.59%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$222 A$314

-44.43%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$29.57 A$41.79

-54.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$53.1 A$75.0

-64.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$48.06 A$67.9

28.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$15.90 A$22.47

8.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$11.96 A$16.90

-23.58%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$1,724 A$2,436

-59.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$13.4K A$18.9K

18.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.7 A$84.4

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$39.20 A$55.4

-10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$92.2 A$130

24.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$102 A$144

-17.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$784 A$1,107

-21.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$623 A$880

-30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,319 A$1,863

56.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$970 A$1,370

55.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$5,647 A$7,978

-35.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,993 A$7,055

-47.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$3,543 A$5,006

-85.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.29

-15.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Albury: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $784 in Albury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 599% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $86.0 in Albury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $333 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

Phuket vs Albury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Albury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Albury earns 599% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $784 in Albury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Albury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $86.0 in Albury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Albury, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Albury. 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 $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Albury 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 42% less than in Albury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.