Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cranbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cranbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,529 in Cranbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,645 in Cranbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $4,760 in Cranbourne.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Cranbourne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Cranbourne is 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.75 A$12.35

-49.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$85.4 A$120

-62.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$12.65 A$17.84

-29.41%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.82 A$3.97

2.84%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.92 A$4.12

-69.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.64 A$2.31

-70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$7.31 A$10.31

-67.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$7.90 A$11.14

-52.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.70 A$3.80

-30.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.46 A$4.88

-57.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.82 A$5.38

-59.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$5.73 A$8.09

-63.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.17 A$14.34

92.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.89 A$15.36

-68.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.74 A$17.96

-10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.31 A$4.67

-9.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$3.43 A$4.84

-51.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$4.24 A$5.99

-47.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.55 A$5.01

-39.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.54 A$5.00

-57.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.22 A$3.13

-39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.64 A$2.31

-31.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.62 A$2.28

-66.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$51.8 A$73.1

-91.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$23.70 A$33.42

-19.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$8.95 A$12.62

-80.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$5.37 A$7.58

-48.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.40 A$1.97

59.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$84.1 A$119

-72.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$6.65 A$9.39

-54.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.49 A$2.09

-31.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$24.89 A$35.10

-84.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.32 A$1.86

12.88%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$27.1K A$38.3K

-2.04%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$30.4K A$42.9K

-11.16%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$267 A$377

-61.65%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$28.11 A$39.65

-59.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.83 A$33.61

-26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$39.79 A$56.1

30.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$18.06 A$25.47

-38.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.37 A$13.22

-17.93%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$2,405 A$3,392

-76.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$21.5K A$30.4K

-46.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$77.8 A$110

-18.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$28.52 A$40.22

3.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$110 A$155

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$126 A$178

-29.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,292 A$1,823

-42.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$1,333 A$1,881

-63.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,930 A$2,722

9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,630 A$2,298

-24.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$5,753 A$8,113

-37.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$4,927 A$6,949

-47.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,756 A$2,477

-71.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.87

-5.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Cranbourne: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,292 in Cranbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cranbourne pays 256% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $85.0 in Cranbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $439 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 Cranbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Cranbourne differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $2,529 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 256% lower in Cranbourne. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Cranbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $2,405 in Cranbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Cranbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,529 in Cranbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cranbourne. 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 Cranbourne 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 105% less than in Cranbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.