Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Melbourne, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,394 in Melbourne, AR, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, AR
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Melbourne, AR Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Melbourne, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Melbourne, AR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,394 in Melbourne, AR.

Phuket $1,208
Melbourne, AR $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $3,462 in Melbourne, AR.

Phuket $2,027
Melbourne, AR $3,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $4,530 in Melbourne, AR.

Phuket $2,845
Melbourne, AR $4,530

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Melbourne, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Melbourne, AR is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$6.76 $6.76

-34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$78.5 $78.5

-58.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$9.36 $9.36

-6.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.70 $5.70

-50.35%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.89 $1.89

-52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.63 $1.63

-71.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$5.84 $5.84

-56.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.03 $7.03

-45.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.95 $0.95

82.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.81 $3.81

-61.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$6.02 $6.02

-74.92%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$5.15 $5.15

-57.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.13 $8.13

142.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$8.53 $8.53

-60.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.24 $13.24

-15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.56 $4.56

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.47 $1.47

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.78 $2.78

-21.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.57 $4.57

-55.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.90 $1.90

-23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.46 $2.46

-43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.46 $1.46

-26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.03 $2.03

-74.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.29 $9.29

-54.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$18.77 $18.77

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.64 $2.64

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$4.57 $4.57

-37.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.22 $2.22

1.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.25 $3.25

-7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.59 $1.59

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$32.55 $32.55

-88.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.94 $0.94

54.26%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.17%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.60%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$179 $179

-46.25%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$55.4 $55.4

-80.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$63.1 $63.1

-72.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$39.39 $39.39

32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$9.84 $9.84

-20.63%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,092 $1,092

-49.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$23.4K $23.4K

-50.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$60.8 $60.8

5.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$50.6 $50.6

-43.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$113 $113

-15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$111 $111

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,584 $1,584

-53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,292 $1,292

-64.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,760 $2,760

-24.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$2,067 $2,067

-41.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,524 $2,524

38.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,551 $2,551

-1.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.77

-17.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, AR: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Melbourne, AR

$1.3K 54% 180% $830

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Melbourne, AR

$365 15.3% 36% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Melbourne, AR

$298 12.4% 139% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Melbourne, AR

$151 6.3% 21.6% $27

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Melbourne, AR

$208 8.7% 71.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Melbourne, AR

$59 2.5% 12.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Melbourne, AR

$20 * 0.8% 49% $19

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 $737 in Phuket and $1,584 in Melbourne, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $79.0 in Melbourne, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $365 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Melbourne, AR

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

09:49 9:49 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

76,068

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Melbourne, AR 15,010 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Melbourne, AR

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 Melbourne, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Melbourne, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $3,591 in Melbourne, AR to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Melbourne, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $1,092 in Melbourne, AR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $79.0 in Melbourne, AR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,394 in Melbourne, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Melbourne, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,208 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Melbourne, AR 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 98% less than in Melbourne, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.