Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Burnie

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,651 in Burnie, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Burnie
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Burnie Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Burnie

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Burnie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Burnie.

Phuket $1,278
Burnie $1,651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,475 in Burnie.

Phuket $2,216
Burnie $2,475

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,298 in Burnie.

Phuket $3,154
Burnie $3,298

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Burnie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Burnie is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$18.39 A$26.14

-75.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$91.0 A$129

-64.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.74 A$8.15

53.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.95 A$5.62

-28.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$3.51 A$4.99

-75.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.73 A$2.46

-71.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.10 A$5.83

-37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.98 A$8.51

-38.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.79 A$2.54

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.42 A$3.44

-39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.83 A$2.60

-18.03%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.14 A$7.31

-59.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.07 A$14.31

89.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.48 A$9.21

-49.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.21 A$24.46

-36.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.81 A$4.00

4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.87 A$4.08

-41.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.07 A$2.95

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.87 A$4.08

-27.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.64 A$3.75

-42.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.13 A$3.03

-35.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.09 A$2.97

-48.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.63 A$2.32

-68.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$36.32 A$51.6

-88.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.68 A$20.87

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.46 A$4.92

-47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$5.44 A$7.73

-47.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.99 A$2.83

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.68 A$3.80

12.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$2.06 A$2.92

-50.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$42.35 A$60.2

-91.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.31 A$1.86

12.21%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$28.5K A$40.4K

-5.90%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$31.6K A$44.9K

-15.59%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$208 A$296

-53.76%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$20.79 A$29.55

-45.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$49.42 A$70.2

-65.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.97 A$19.86

-46.31%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,990 A$2,828

-76.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$21.0K A$29.9K

-46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$78.4 A$111

-20.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$24.30 A$34.53

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$108 A$154

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$94.2 A$134

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$815 A$1,158

-12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$586 A$832

-16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,157 A$1,644

66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$828 A$1,177

72.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$5,173 A$7,353

-90.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.6

-0.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burnie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Burnie

$586 35.5% 19.3% $95

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Burnie

$336 20.3% 26.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Burnie

$279 16.9% 124% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Burnie

$137 8.3% 12.6% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Burnie

$265 16.1% 118% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Burnie

$28 * 1.7% 66% $54

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Burnie

$21 * 1.3% 70.4% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $815 in Burnie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $91 in Burnie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $336 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Burnie

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

00:40 12:40 AM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,267

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Burnie 7,290 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Burnie

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 Burnie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $815 in Burnie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Burnie. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,651 in Burnie – Phuket is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Burnie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Burnie. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Burnie are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Burnie on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.