Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Broken Hill

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,371 in Broken Hill, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Broken Hill, Australia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Broken Hill
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,371
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Broken Hill

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 Broken Hill actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,371 in Broken Hill.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Broken Hill $2,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,506 in Broken Hill.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Broken Hill $3,506

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,641 in Broken Hill.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Broken Hill $4,641

Living in Phuket costs roughly 46% less than in Broken Hill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Broken Hill is 74% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$16.76 A$23.94
-73.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$83.4 A$119
-61.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.11 A$13.01
-3.29%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$4.13 A$5.90
-31.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$2.79 A$3.99
-68.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$2.33 A$3.33
-78.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$7.47 A$10.66
-65.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$7.00 A$10.00
-47.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.76 A$2.52
-5.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$2.80 A$4.00
-47.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$2.04 A$2.91
-26.47%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$5.54 A$7.91
-62.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$9.62 A$13.74
98.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.18 A$14.54
-67.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$16.35 A$23.35
-33.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$4.25 A$6.07
-31.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$2.85 A$4.06
-40.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$2.98 A$4.26
-24.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.72 A$6.74
-55.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$3.03 A$4.32
-50.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$2.34 A$3.34
-41.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$2.23 A$3.19
-52.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$1.56 A$2.22
-66.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$48.29 A$69.0
-91.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$15.24 A$21.76
23.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$4.21 A$6.01
-56.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$5.47 A$7.82
-48.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$2.70 A$3.85
-46.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$76.7 A$109
-26.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.77 A$5.39
-19.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$1.80 A$2.57
-43.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$44.58 A$63.7
-91.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.52 A$2.17
-3.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$30.7K A$43.9K
-12.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$24.5K A$35.0K
8.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$205 A$293
-53.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$25.11 A$35.87
-55.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$57.2 A$81.6
-70.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$63.6 A$90.9
5.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$15.15 A$21.63
-29.17%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$13.97 A$19.96
-46.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$2,372 A$3,388
-79.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$21.7K A$30.9K
-48.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$69.0 A$98.5
-9.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$48.07 A$68.7
-40.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$106 A$151
-10.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$125 A$178
-31.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$1,594 A$2,277
-55.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$1,070 A$1,528
-54.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$2,252 A$3,216
-14.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,720 A$2,457
-16.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$5,079 A$7,253
-17.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$4,926 A$7,035
-38.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Broken Hill
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.9
-5.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Broken Hill: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Broken Hill
$1.1K 118% $579
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Broken Hill
$383 43.7% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Broken Hill
$287 131% $163
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Broken Hill
$156 28.3% $34
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Broken Hill
$283 132% $161
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Broken Hill
$92 11.4% $9.3
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Broken Hill
$100 42% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,594 in Broken Hill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $83 in Broken Hill for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $383 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇦🇺 Broken Hill
🕒 Local time
16:44 4:44 PM
20:14 8:14 PM
3 h 30 min ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
17,456
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Broken Hill 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Broken Hill

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 Broken Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Broken Hill?
Phuket is about 46% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $3,556 in Broken Hill to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Broken Hill?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,594 in Broken Hill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $2,372 in Broken Hill. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Broken Hill?
Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Broken Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Broken Hill?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,371 in Broken Hill, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Broken Hill. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Broken Hill?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Broken Hill?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Broken Hill are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Broken Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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