Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Busselton Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Busselton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,186 in Busselton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,237 in Busselton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,288 in Busselton.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Busselton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Busselton is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$16.41 A$22.87

-71.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$78.5 A$109

-42.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.61 A$13.40

-12.28%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.58 A$4.99

-18.16%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.51 A$3.49

-72.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.93 A$2.69

-80.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$7.61 A$10.61

-68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.48 A$9.03

-42.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.84 A$1.17

165.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.11 A$1.55

64.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.02 A$1.42

112.75%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.04 A$4.24

-27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.27 A$11.52

138.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.95 A$11.08

-54.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.06 A$19.59

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.28 A$4.57

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.97 A$2.75

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.96 A$4.12

-18.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.68 A$6.52

-55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.42 A$3.37

-36.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.79 A$2.49

-17.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.00 A$2.79

-50.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.50 A$2.09

-66.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$14.35 A$19.99

-69.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$13.10 A$18.25

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.95 A$5.50

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$4.24 A$5.90

-36.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.64 A$3.68

-48.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$63.9 A$89.0

-82.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.04 A$5.63

-25.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.13 A$2.96

-53.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$49.96 A$69.6

-71.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.17 A$1.63

16.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.5K A$41.1K

-4.30%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.9K A$33.3K

37.69%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$158 A$221

-23.19%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$28.14 A$39.22

-51.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$47.88 A$66.7

-61.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$49.69 A$69.2

21.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.52 A$21.63

10.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$16.50 A$22.99

-47.33%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$1,799 A$2,507

-61.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$12.2K A$16.9K

28.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$63.9 A$89.1

-6.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$48.06 A$67.0

-27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$104 A$145

10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$105 A$146

-20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,260 A$1,755

-51.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,081 A$1,506

-59.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,055 A$2,864

1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,707 A$2,378

-11.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$6,637 A$9,249

-43.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$4,733 A$6,596

-44.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.42

-16.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Busselton: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,260 in Busselton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $78.0 in Busselton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $297 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 Busselton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Busselton differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,186 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $3,279 in Busselton 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $1,260 in Busselton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $1,799 in Busselton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Busselton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,186 in Busselton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Busselton. 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 Busselton 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 73% less than in Busselton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.