Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $2,529 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
Learn more

Cairns Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cairns

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $2,529 in Cairns, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Cairns $2,529

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $3,731 in Cairns, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Cairns $3,731

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $4,933 in Cairns, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Cairns $4,933

Phuket is about 53% cheaper than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Cairns is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$17.69 A$25.40

-75.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,091

$97.6 A$140

-66.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$12.79 A$18.37

-34.17%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.4

$4.32 A$6.20

-34.95%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$3.14 A$4.51

-72.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.46

$2.74 A$3.93

-83.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$6.84 A$9.83

-62.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$8.34 A$11.98

-56.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.4

$1.94 A$2.79

-11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$2.63 A$3.78

-44.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$2.57 A$3.70

-39.30%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.6

$5.39 A$7.74

-61.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$9.17 A$13.17

112.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$13.48 A$19.36

-74.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿375

$15.26 A$21.91

-27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.2

$4.17 A$6.00

-32.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$2.75 A$3.95

-41.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.8

$3.54 A$5.08

-37.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.2

$5.65 A$8.11

-61.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$2.56 A$3.68

-41.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.59

$2.58 A$3.71

-48.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.87

$2.71 A$3.89

-60.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.08

$2.59 A$3.72

-80.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$43.78 A$62.9

-90.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿631

$13.96 A$20.05

34.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$3.55 A$5.10

-50.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.3

$5.22 A$7.49

-46.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.9

$3.56 A$5.12

-39.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿749

$15.43 A$22.16

44.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.65 A$3.81

13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.57

$1.96 A$2.82

-45.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$42.21 A$60.6

-91.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.08

$1.28 A$1.84

11.72%

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

$26.3K ฿885.8K

$31.3K A$45.0K

-15.91%

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

$26.2K ฿881.0K

$40.8K A$58.6K

-35.82%

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

$96.7 ฿3,250

$164 A$235

-40.94%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$34.95 A$50.2

-67.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿575

$65.0 A$93.3

-73.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,775

$44.38 A$63.7

18.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

$27.37 A$39.31

-59.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$13.97 A$20.07

-45.24%

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

$555 ฿18.7K

$2,069 A$2,972

-73.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.3K

$14.2K A$20.3K

-20.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,132

$89.1 A$128

-28.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿962

$71.7 A$103

-60.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,252

$122 A$175

-20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,979

$129 A$186

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$1,466 A$2,106

-49.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$1,223 A$1,757

-62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.7K

$2,250 A$3,232

-6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$1,944 A$2,793

-38.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.4K

$6,629 A$9,523

-47.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.8K

$5,015 A$7,204

-50.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$4,289 A$6,160

-88.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.32

-11.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 167% $765

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Cairns

$409 16.3% 52.6% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Cairns

$264 10.5% 111% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Cairns

$185 7.4% 48.5% $61

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Cairns

$306 12.2% 157% $187

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Cairns

$72 2.9% 6.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 7.4% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $1,466 in Cairns. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 756% higher in Cairns, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $98.0 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $409 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

3 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

153,181

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cairns 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cairns

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 Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 113% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $3,793 in Cairns. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $98.0 in Cairns. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Cairns at $2,529. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,190 versus $2,529 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.