Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Melbourne, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $3,243 in Melbourne, FL, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 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
157

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, FL
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Melbourne, FL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Melbourne, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $3,243 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Melbourne, FL $3,243

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $4,369 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Melbourne, FL $4,369

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $5,495 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Melbourne, FL $5,495

Phuket is about 63% cheaper than Melbourne, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Melbourne, FL is 142% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$25.52 $25.52

-82.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$74.3 $74.3

-56.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$10.06 $10.06

-16.30%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$5.09 $5.09

-44.79%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$3.01 $3.01

-71.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$1.99 $1.99

-76.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.28 $5.28

-50.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$7.38 $7.38

-50.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$0.81 $0.81

111.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$4.28 $4.28

-66.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.09 $3.09

-49.51%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$5.59 $5.59

-62.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$13.34 $13.34

46.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$11.11 $11.11

-69.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$14.61 $14.61

-23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$4.55 $4.55

-37.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.57 $1.57

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$4.46 $4.46

-50.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$5.32 $5.32

-59.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$2.89 $2.89

-48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$3.31 $3.31

-59.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$2.26 $2.26

-52.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$2.71 $2.71

-81.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$9.55 $9.55

-54.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$15.72 $15.72

19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.08 $2.08

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.28 $3.28

-15.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$3.72 $3.72

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$41.71 $41.71

-46.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$9.94 $9.94

-69.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$1.83 $1.83

-42.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.04 $1.04

37.50%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-29.16%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.47%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$168 $168

-42.57%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$59.0 $59.0

-80.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$76.5 $76.5

-77.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$41.58 $41.58

26.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$2.79 $2.79

296.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$12.92 $12.92

-40.79%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$888 $888

-37.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$20.9K $20.9K

-45.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$73.3 $73.3

-13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$58.0 $58.0

-50.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$116 $116

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$104 $104

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$2,032 $2,032

-63.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$1,840 $1,840

-75.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$2,799 $2,799

-24.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$2,486 $2,486

-52.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$2,445 $2,445

42.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$2,499 $2,499

-0.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$3,682 $3,682

-86.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.86

-18.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, FL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Melbourne, FL

$1.8K 57.4% 302% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Melbourne, FL

$407 12.7% 51.8% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Melbourne, FL

$304 9.5% 143% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Melbourne, FL

$158 4.9% 26.5% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Melbourne, FL

$357 11.1% 199% $237

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Melbourne, FL

$67 2.1% 1% $0.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Melbourne, FL

$76 2.4% 92.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $2,032 in Melbourne, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 635% higher in Melbourne, FL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $74.0 in Melbourne, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $407 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Melbourne, FL

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

14:55 2:55 PM

11 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 = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Melbourne, FL 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Melbourne, FL

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, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne, FL is pricier by about 173%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $4,865 in Melbourne, FL. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,190 in Phuket and $3,243 in Melbourne, FL. That's a gap of about 173%.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Melbourne, FL at $3,243. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne, FL 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 have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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