Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,416 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,579 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,742 in Melbourne.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Melbourne is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$19.75 A$27.68

-76.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$78.7 A$110

-42.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.70 A$13.60

-13.09%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.66 A$5.14

-19.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.60 A$3.65

-73.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.34 A$3.28

-84.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$7.17 A$10.06

-66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.99 A$9.79

-46.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.45 A$2.03

53.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.66 A$3.73

-31.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.34 A$3.28

-7.26%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.80 A$6.73

-53.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.77 A$12.29

125.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.44 A$13.23

-61.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.42 A$20.22

-6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.33 A$4.67

-1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.77 A$3.89

-41.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.00 A$4.21

-19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.95 A$5.53

-47.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.68 A$3.75

-42.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.36 A$3.30

-37.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.14 A$2.99

-53.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.63 A$2.29

-68.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$32.44 A$45.49

-86.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$14.11 A$19.78

37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.64 A$6.51

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$5.04 A$7.07

-46.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$3.49 A$4.89

-60.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$120 A$168

-90.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.50 A$4.91

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.35 A$1.89

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$26.94 A$37.77

-47.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.19 A$1.67

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.4K A$41.3K

-4.15%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.6K A$33.1K

39.56%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$150 A$210

-18.84%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.16 A$29.67

-35.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$50.3 A$70.5

-63.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$49.14 A$68.9

22.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$16.37 A$22.96

4.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$16.43 A$23.04

-47.11%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$1,764 A$2,473

-60.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$19.2K A$26.9K

-18.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$68.3 A$95.8

-12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$53.3 A$74.7

-34.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$106 A$149

7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$105 A$147

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,572 A$2,205

-61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,195 A$1,675

-63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$3,048 A$4,273

-31.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,990 A$2,789

-24.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$7,387 A$10.4K

-49.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$6,527 A$9,151

-59.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$4,512 A$6,326

-88.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.19

-13.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 788% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $79.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $354 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Melbourne differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,416 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Melbourne earns 788% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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 Melbourne 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 91% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.