Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ipswich, Australia

Name: Ipswich
Address: Ipswich, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,055 in Ipswich, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ipswich

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,055 in Ipswich, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Ipswich $2,055

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,914 in Ipswich, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Ipswich $2,914

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,773 in Ipswich, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Ipswich $3,773

Phuket is about 38% cheaper than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Ipswich is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$32.17 A$45.75

-86.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$75.7 A$108

-57.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.05 A$14.30

-12.34%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.60 A$6.54

-38.48%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$3.76 A$5.35

-76.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.43 A$3.46

-79.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$9.24 A$13.14

-72.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.67 A$10.91

-52.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.49 A$3.55

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.41 A$3.43

-39.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.26 A$3.22

-33.63%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.19 A$10.22

-70.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.19 A$10.23

165.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.65 A$12.30

-61.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.77 A$19.58

-20.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.33 A$4.74

-12.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.70 A$3.84

-37.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.75 A$3.91

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$3.79 A$5.39

-45.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.00 A$2.84

-24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.06 A$2.94

-33.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.44 A$3.46

-56.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.70 A$2.42

-69.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$44.66 A$63.5

-90.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$21.65 A$30.80

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$6.39 A$9.09

-71.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$7.16 A$10.19

-60.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.34 A$0.48

326.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.19 A$3.11

37.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.64 A$2.34

-37.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$35.81 A$50.9

-89.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.42 A$2.02

3.52%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$91.8 A$131

5.00%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$31.51 A$44.82

-64.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$62.6 A$89.1

-73.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$17.21 A$24.47

290.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,045 A$1,486

-31.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,025 A$1,458

-52.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,403 A$1,995

37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,381 A$1,964

3.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,151 A$5,904

-87.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.98

-6.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ipswich

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ipswich

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ipswich

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ipswich

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ipswich

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ipswich

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ipswich

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,045 in Ipswich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ipswich are about 8.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $76 in Ipswich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $386 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

3 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

229,208

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ipswich 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ipswich

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ipswich is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,082 in Ipswich. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,045 in Ipswich.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Ipswich, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $76 in Ipswich. 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 $1,278, than in Ipswich at $2,055. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ipswich it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $2,055 in Ipswich. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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