Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,209 in Mackay, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mackay

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,209 in Mackay, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Mackay $2,209

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,489 in Mackay, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Mackay $3,489

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,769 in Mackay, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Mackay $4,769

Phuket is about 42% cheaper than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Mackay is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.22 A$24.50

-74.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$75.8 A$108

-57.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.42 A$17.67

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.30 A$6.12

-34.19%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$3.39 A$4.82

-74.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.74 A$3.89

-82.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.97 A$9.91

-63.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.87 A$9.77

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.90 A$2.71

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.51 A$3.57

-41.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.82 A$4.02

-46.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$6.02 A$8.56

-65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.70 A$13.80

96.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.53 A$12.13

-61.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.45 A$23.40

-33.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.69 A$5.25

-20.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.85 A$4.05

-40.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.00 A$4.27

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.72 A$9.56

-69.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.53 A$3.59

-40.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.56 A$3.64

-46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$3.24 A$4.61

-66.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$3.11 A$4.43

-83.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$44.23 A$62.9

-90.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.63 A$12.28

117.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$5.24 A$7.46

-65.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$6.05 A$8.60

-53.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$2.42 A$3.44

-40.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$68.8 A$97.9

-17.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.88 A$8.36

-48.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.06 A$2.93

-50.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$35.28 A$50.2

-89.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.27 A$1.81

15.75%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$27.1K A$38.6K

-1.28%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-24.69%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$235 A$334

-58.97%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.32 A$41.70

-61.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$78.9 A$112

-78.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$52.0 A$74.0

29.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.14 A$30.07

-49.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.46 A$23.40

-54.43%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,860 A$2,645

-74.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$6,747 A$9,596

66.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$71.1 A$101

-12.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$50.0 A$71.1

-43.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$123 A$175

-23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$105 A$150

-18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$956 A$1,360

-25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$829 A$1,180

-40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,903 A$2,707

1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,779 A$2,530

-19.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,115 A$4,430

34.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,763 A$2,508

72.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$5,517 A$7,846

-90.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.63

-1.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 68.9% $338

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 50.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 176% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 28.8% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 146% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 3.3% $2.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 34.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $956 in Mackay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mackay are about 11 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 Mackay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $400 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

20:18 8:18 PM

3 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

80,455

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mackay 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mackay

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 Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mackay is pricier by about 73%, 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 $3,314 in Mackay. 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 $956 in Mackay.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Mackay, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $76 in Mackay. 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 Mackay at $2,209. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mackay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Mackay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.