Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carlton Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carlton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,166 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,100 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,034 in Carlton.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 43% less than in Carlton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Carlton is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$19.76 A$27.67

-76.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$65.7 A$92.0

-28.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.48 A$13.28

-6.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.75 A$3.84

9.09%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.46 A$3.44

-69.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.89 A$2.65

-80.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$6.11 A$8.55

-60.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$6.25 A$8.74

-42.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.06 A$1.49

113.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.76 A$2.47

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.59 A$2.22

40.88%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.98 A$4.17

-22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.01 A$12.62

118.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$9.53 A$13.34

-61.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$14.61 A$20.46

-10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.32 A$4.65

2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.57 A$3.59

-36.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.99 A$4.19

-19.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.94 A$5.52

-48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.29 A$3.21

-31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.12 A$2.96

-29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.16 A$3.02

-52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.33 A$1.87

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$28.38 A$39.74

-84.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.72 A$15.01

76.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.50 A$6.30

-60.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.08 A$7.11

-45.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.86 A$4.01

-51.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$51.7 A$72.4

-77.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.66 A$5.12

-14.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.33 A$1.86

-24.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$24.30 A$34.02

-42.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.18 A$1.65

14.41%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.4K A$32.8K

16.17%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$13.0K A$18.2K

152.71%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$74.5 A$104

67.71%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$20.74 A$29.04

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$43.22 A$60.5

-57.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$45.79 A$64.1

34.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$17.87 A$25.02

-5.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.51 A$16.11

-20.16%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$1,209 A$1,693

-42.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.6K A$16.2K

34.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$68.2 A$95.5

-15.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$53.3 A$74.6

-33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.1 A$105

50.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$104 A$146

-17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,303 A$1,824

-52.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,119 A$1,566

-60.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,970 A$2,758

3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,619 A$2,267

-7.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$6,695 A$9,373

-43.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$4,849 A$6,789

-45.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$5,923 A$8,292

-91.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.19

-13.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Carlton: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,303 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 1031% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $66.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $319 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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Carlton differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $2,166 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Carlton earns 1031% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $1,303 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $1,209 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,166 in Carlton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Carlton. 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 Carlton 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 76% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.