Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bathurst, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,543 in Bathurst, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Bathurst, Australia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Bathurst
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,543
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bathurst

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bathurst actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $2,543 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Bathurst $2,543

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $3,640 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Bathurst $3,640

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $4,737 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Bathurst $4,737

Phuket is about 49% cheaper than Bathurst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Bathurst is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$15.12 A$21.69
-70.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$84.9 A$122
-61.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$10.70 A$15.35
-18.69%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$3.64 A$5.22
-25.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.38
$2.89 A$4.14
-67.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$2.31 A$3.32
-78.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$4.75 A$6.82
-46.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$7.29 A$10.46
-50.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.56 A$2.24
11.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$2.73 A$3.92
-46.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$2.22 A$3.18
-32.43%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$5.68 A$8.15
-61.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$10.03 A$14.39
90.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$9.27 A$13.30
-63.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$14.08 A$20.20
-22.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$4.31 A$6.19
-31.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$3.17 A$4.54
-46.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$3.71 A$5.33
-40.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$4.78 A$6.86
-55.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.19
$2.48 A$3.56
-41.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.14
$2.35 A$3.38
-41.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.29
$2.06 A$2.96
-47.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.40
$1.52 A$2.19
-63.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$41.65 A$59.8
-89.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$12.33 A$17.68
48.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$5.05 A$7.25
-64.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$4.79 A$6.87
-39.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$2.90 A$4.16
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,851
$91.0 A$131
-39.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$3.81 A$5.46
-60.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.17
$1.55 A$2.22
-49.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$37.35 A$53.6
-89.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.35 A$1.94
10.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿906.7K
$32.7K A$47.0K
-17.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.6K
$29.9K A$42.8K
-11.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,299
$209 A$300
-53.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$41.21 A$59.1
-72.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$62.4 A$89.5
-72.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$59.5 A$85.3
14.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$19.94 A$28.61
-45.24%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$14.72 A$21.11
-49.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$2,312 A$3,317
-77.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.5K
$23.6K A$33.8K
-20.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,080
$76.2 A$109
-19.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$54.5 A$78.2
-48.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,238
$109 A$156
-11.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,928
$113 A$163
-23.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$1,399 A$2,007
-48.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$1,241 A$1,781
-59.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$2,280 A$3,271
-14.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$1,816 A$2,605
-23.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$5,922 A$8,497
-29.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$4,559 A$6,541
-27.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Bathurst
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.91
-5.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Bathurst
$1.2K 144% $732
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Bathurst
$371 38.9% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Bathurst
$313 148% $187
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Bathurst
$159 29.5% $36
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Bathurst
$256 114% $136
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Bathurst
$89 6.9% $5.7
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Bathurst
$114 72.8% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $1,399 in Bathurst. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $85 in Bathurst. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $371 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇦🇺 Bathurst
🕒 Local time
10:02 10:02 AM
14:02 2:02 PM
4 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
36,230
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.697 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Bathurst 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Bathurst

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Bathurst?
Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $3,814 in Bathurst. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,399 in Bathurst.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 40% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $2,312 in Bathurst. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Bathurst?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Bathurst at $2,543. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Bathurst more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Bathurst?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Phuket is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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