Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Launceston, Australia

Name: Launceston
Address: Launceston, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,980 in Launceston, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Launceston
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Launceston Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Launceston

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Launceston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,980 in Launceston.

Phuket $1,294
Launceston $1,980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,837 in Launceston.

Phuket $2,204
Launceston $2,837

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $3,693 in Launceston.

Phuket $3,115
Launceston $3,693

Living in Phuket costs roughly 35% less than in Launceston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Launceston is 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$17.76 A$25.42

-75.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$73.4 A$105

-55.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$8.22 A$11.76

5.84%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$3.29 A$4.71

-17.33%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.44 A$2.05

-35.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$2.23 A$3.20

-77.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$6.15 A$8.80

-58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.10 A$10.16

-48.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.80 A$2.57

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$2.48 A$3.55

-41.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.23 A$1.77

21.95%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$3.67 A$5.25

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$9.85 A$14.10

93.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$8.47 A$12.13

-59.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$10.32 A$14.77

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$2.74 A$3.92

7.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.78 A$3.97

-39.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$2.77 A$3.96

-20.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$4.72 A$6.76

-55.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$2.04 A$2.92

-28.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$1.42 A$2.04

-3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$2.55 A$3.65

-57.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.53 A$0.76

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$35.52 A$50.9

-87.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$14.68 A$21.01

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$5.09 A$7.28

-65.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$5.59 A$8.01

-48.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$3.51 A$5.03

-58.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.89 A$5.56

-61.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$1.75 A$2.50

-55.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$31.75 A$45.46

-87.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.26 A$1.80

18.25%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$28.8K A$41.3K

-6.74%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$34.0K A$48.7K

-22.61%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$223 A$319

-56.16%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$29.26 A$41.89

-61.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$54.7 A$78.3

-68.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$48.98 A$70.1

39.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$17.13 A$24.51

-56.63%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$1,998 A$2,861

-73.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$18.5K A$26.5K

1.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$78.7 A$113

-21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$54.8 A$78.5

-48.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$105 A$151

-8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$127 A$182

-31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$1,153 A$1,650

-37.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$811 A$1,161

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$1,623 A$2,323

20.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$1,137 A$1,628

22.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$6,723 A$9,624

-92.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Launceston: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Launceston

$811 41% 59.4% $302

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Launceston

$322 16.3% 20.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Launceston

$307 15.5% 143% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Launceston

$165 8.3% 34.1% $42

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Launceston

$266 13.4% 122% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Launceston

$83 4.2% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Launceston

$27 * 1.4% 59.6% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,153 in Launceston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Launceston pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $73 in Launceston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $322 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Launceston

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

03:14 3:14 AM

4 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

80,943

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Launceston 7,390 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Launceston

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 Launceston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Launceston. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,153 in Launceston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Launceston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $1,980 in Launceston – Phuket is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,980 in Launceston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Launceston. 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 Launceston are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Launceston on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.